Comedian Celeste Barber backstage at the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival on Wednesday.Credit:Simon Schluter
Comedian Celeste Barber has responded to allegations her $52-million bushfire fundraising effort was misguided or lacked adequate homework by saying she'd"do it all again".
As she prepares to make her runway debut at the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival on Thursday night,the comedian and Instagram star has reflected on one wild summer in her 37-year-old life.
"It's pretty incredible,I find it quite overwhelming still,especially when I talk to my in-laws[who lost their home] about it because that's why I started it,they were in trouble,"she said.
As the summer's bushfire crisis unfolded,Barber used Facebook to launch a fundraising drive that began with agoal of $30,000 but ultimately raised more than $51 million.
But as Barber's initial call-out only specified the NSW Rural Fire Service Donations Trust,the money technically and legally needs to be allocated to funding equipment and support for the service,not bushfire victims,unless a legal or legislative exemption is granted.
Asked whether there was anything she would have done differently,Barber was unapologetic:"Nah. I would have raised more. I would have kept it going ... No person would go,I probably wouldn't raise $52 million because I got backlash ... I'd 100 per cent do it again."
No person would go,I probably wouldn't raise $52 million because I got backlash ... I'd 100 per cent do it again.
Celeste Barber,comedian
Last month,Barber revealed she had been in discussions with the RFS on how the money could possibly be redistributed.
"Hopefully,[some of the money] can go elsewhere and if it can't,worst-case scenario is it stays with the RFS,"she said on Wednesday.