Ben Carroll pays up in a burgers and fries election campaign blitz

October 28, 2026 — 6:34pm

We are guessing it is not every day that Ben Carroll is seen putting in an order at McDonald’s, but he might be a visitor to the “golden arches” a little more regularly than we first had suspected.

Out on the campaign trail in his big red bus on Wednesday, Carroll stopped in at a McDonald’s store in Essendon, part of his Niddrie electorate, around 11am and shouted the journos, photographers and his staff onboard an early lunch.

“They will know me here,” Carroll quipped as he made his way to the counter. As a “man of the people” show, it went down well.

It turns out the premier often drops by the outlet to grab an early coffee – long black is his choice – after his 5.30am morning run.

While some customers and locals did recognise him and whipped out their phones for a quick snap, one was heard asking “who is it?”.

Take it from us, there is always one.

The premier opted for a Quarter Pounder meal including chips and a soft serve. Sitting down for his meal he was spied soon after dipping a chip into the soft serve dessert – it is a sweet and salty viral trend, apparently.

His wife, Fiona Rothville, settled for a coffee and shared the fries with her husband. Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams refrained from the burgerfest and was spotted later having a sandwich on the bus for lunch.

Cheeseburgers were the popular pick for the media contingent.

Now, we are in no way likening Carroll to Donald Trump, but Carroll is far from the first pollie to pull the fast food photo opp card.

The US president did a campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania in 2024, even working the chip fryer and serving at the drive-through window on that occasion.

Trump, of course, has carried on for years about his love of Maccas and even used the burgers as catering when hosting sporting teams at the White House.

Meanwhile, after putting through the hefty order for his 25-strong bus crew, we are happy to report that unlike his well-covered recent petrol bowser brain fade where he drove off in nearby Airport West without settling his bill, Carroll did remember this time to pay.

Luke Sayers seeks up to $12 million for Melbourne pad

Not a great time to be flogging fancy digs in Melbourne right now, but that’s not stopping former Carlton president and “lewd pic” scandal survivor Luke Sayers.

The millionaire businessman, who last month settled his high-profile Supreme Court defamation battle with his now ex-wife Cate Sayers, has listed his luxury apartment in East Melbourne for sale, despite having owned it for only 18 months.

Sayers, who settled on the $10.15 million buy in April last year, is now selling the three-bedder inner-city unit with an estimated price range of $11.2 million to $12 million.

Luke hasn’t been spotted in Oz since the defamation proceeding was resolved, having left the country in the days before the matter was to return to court and ahead of its ultimate settlement, which included Sayers issuing a full apology to his wife. The estranged couple share four adult daughters.

No details of any financial payment to Cate as part of that settlement were revealed. The agreement is believed to be tied up with the broader settlement of the financial division of assets as part of the couple’s divorce.

Former PwC boss Luke owns the apartment in his own name. It was purchased with the assistance of a mortgage from ANZ. Cate, meantime, still owns a property on the Mornington Peninsula in her name that was purchased in 2021 for $6 million when the pair were still married.

Property records show that Luke does not own any other real estate in Victoria in his own name.

Amid Melbourne’s residential real estate downturn, a sale of the East Melbourne apartment at the bottom end of or below Sayers’ price range could see the businessman go backwards on the investment.

His holding costs would include stamp duty on his purchase of close to $650,000, plus a large interest bill on his mortgage. Luke Sayers was contacted for comment.

Axe falls on Hit duo in radio land

The shocks in radio land continue with Nic Kelly and Loren Barry axed as hosts of The Hot Hits.

The pair, who host The Hot Hits on Fox FM in Melbourne and nationally via the Hit Network Monday to Thursday from 7pm to 10pm, were told on Monday they had got the chop and announced the “raw” news to their listeners on Tuesday night.

Barry, who moved to the Hit Network after the Marty Sheargold show was axed from Triple M breakfast in February 2025 and recently filled in for Carrie Bickmore in the Hit Network Drive shift, will leave the radio company. Kelly’s future is unclear. The pair will stay on air for several more weeks.

“It’s a very difficult thing to make peace with because we’re so proud of what we’ve done with this show ... while accepting that the future of it is not within our control,” an emotional Barry told her listeners.

“I want to be able to entertain and that will continue, I don’t know in what capacity.”

It is that time of year when upheavals on the airwaves come thick and fast.

Bickmore and Tommy Little revealed last Wednesday that they were exiting the Hit Network after a decade, and Sharnelle Vella announced last Thursday she had quit ABC 774 breakfast.

On Monday, KIIS FM finally launched its new Melbourne breakfast show, Ash, Issie & Elliot, to plug the gap created by the axing of the Kylie & Jackie O Show in March this year.

On Bickmore, don’t shed a tear for her. She is soon to be announced as hosting the national drive shift at KIIS.

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Fiona Byrne is the CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.

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