Seven prominent bars and restaurants in Hobart have recently ceased operations after the hospitality group managing them entered voluntary administration. The closures have been attributed to rising costs and shifts in consumer behavior.
Following the news, reality television personality Georgia Love, who previously worked as a news reporter in Hobart a decade ago, posted on social media suggesting her absence from the city was the cause of the closures. "It may have taken 10 years (almost to the day) but the effect of me leaving Hobart has officially hit," the 36-year-old wrote, accompanying her comment with a news article about the closures.
Love further elaborated with a throwback photo from her time at Cargo, one of the affected venues, stating, "I'm not saying my drunken antics 4x a week in 2014-2016 alone kept Cargo in business. Oh wait. Yes I am."
Her comments drew criticism for being insensitive to the scores of workers who lost their jobs due to the sudden shutdowns. Local DJ Brittney McNeil described the situation as "a very big blow to not just people that go out but the security, bar staff, DJs, musicians and anyone else that works in the hospitality industry."
Ian Vaughan, director of the hospitality group, expressed that the situation was "deeply disappointing."
Love's remarks come weeks after she announced her new role as a newsreader for ARN's The Long Weekend program. The show features Eddie McGuire and previously included Karl Stefanovic. Love and her ex-husband, Lee Elliott, with whom she first met on "The Bachelorette" in 2016, announced their separation in February 2025 after nine years together.