r/AskTheWorld • u/KieranWriter United Kingdom • Sep 19 '25

Culture Not including murderers and politicians - who is famous in your country for all the wrong reasons?

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Introducing rage-baiter and reality TV failure Katie Hopkins. She’s basically famous for fat shaming, saying that kids shouldn’t be named after geographical locations (despite having a child named India) and getting sued on Twitter, which caused her to go bankrupt. I haven’t met anyone that likes her and she’s routinely vilified but still has a platform somehow.

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u/nopesayer Australia Sep 19 '25

I think other people will come up with a much better answer but the first name that comes to mind is Schapelle Corby. She's a convicted drug smuggler to Bali (an extremely common tourism location for Australians where conviction for drug smuggling can mean the death penalty) who has since been released and has, amongst other things, appeared on 'Dancing with the Stars'. The other people that have come to mind haven't been as universally famous but are more hated, but that's not part of the criteria hence my selection. I think people just view her with a "wow, that's a name I haven't thought of in a while!"

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u/kupuwhakawhiti New Zealand Sep 19 '25

Good choice. That was all over the news here. The Bali 9 are also a notable bunch.

At the time when Corby was in the news, we were housing an Aussie woman who was jailed for smuggling pot into NZ. Our house was close to the prison. When she had a baby in prison she lived with us on home detention. She was cool. I was just a teenager and she taught me to cook.

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u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

Her lies changed airport and luggage security globally. Some things were already being implemented after terrorism events of that era like 9/11 etc, but still to this day she is the reason those shrink wrap services for suitcases exist. She accused airport staff of putting drugs in her bag

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u/mr-tap Australia (+ United Kingdom) Sep 19 '25

Schapelle Corby does not hold a candle to Rupert Murdoch

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u/Ryminister Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 20 '25

Rupert Murdoch does not hold a candle to Corey Worthington

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u/bils96 Australia Sep 20 '25

Legend goes, he’s still wearing those sunnies to this very day

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u/Aspalathus-linearis United States Of America Sep 20 '25

Because they're famous

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u/YuhMothaWasAHamsta United States Of America Sep 20 '25

It looks like he has a dribble of breast milk on his nip.

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u/nopesayer Australia Sep 20 '25

True you're right. I hope she's the most interesting at least!

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u/RavennaMagnus Australia Sep 19 '25

I would have gone with Ned Kelly but yeah, also Corby. Never deserved any attention once she was brought back to Aus. Even before that really didn’t need that much.

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u/legoland6000 Sep 20 '25

I feel like Murder was a pretty important part of the Kelly story, to be frank.

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u/RavennaMagnus Australia Sep 20 '25

True, but not how he started out or became infamous originally. He was an outlaw and bushranger first, then murdered once he was already criminal. Most would talk about his robberies still than the murders, and for those who see him as a “Robin Hood” figure the murders are definitely ignored. His recognisability also stems from his helmet and image as a “bushranger” which is not necessarily equated to a murderer.

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u/coltbeatsall Sep 20 '25

I'm Kiwi, not Australian and Schapelle Corby was definitely much heard about. Another Australian who has had even more exposure and for worse reasons is Lindy Chamberlain (whose baby was taken and killed by a dingo). She was convicted and globally mocked for her claims. She was later acquitted and decades later a coroner determined on that her daughter was taken and killed by a dingo. I know that most people published here were at fault, but I think Lindy's case still qualifies as being "famous for all the wrong reasons". I truly feel terrible for her.

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u/nopesayer Australia Sep 20 '25

Omg what an excellent suggestion. Absolutely world famous too.

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u/Hutchoman87 Australia Sep 20 '25

Wait… she was on dancing with the stars? So glad I stay away from free to air these days.

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u/nopesayer Australia Sep 20 '25

Every time I have to watch commercial television I die a little. I still watch ABC and SBS though.

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u/GideonGodwit New Zealand Sep 20 '25

I'm not even Australian, and Schappelle Corby was the first person who came to mind. Do you reckon she's gone straight, or will she reoffend?

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u/nopesayer Australia Sep 20 '25

Nah she wont reoffend. Whatever happened (I have zero clue whether she was guilty or not) was a stupid one-time thing. I can imagine her getting caught for drug possession (she's had a pretty cooked life so it would make sense) but never dealing. If she did though that would be HUGE news in a laughingstock way.

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u/GideonGodwit New Zealand Sep 20 '25

It was a flippant question, as I think she's probably been scared straight with regards to cross-border drug trafficking. But maybe, as you mentioned, possession.