Last year, Hannah Brauer was worried she had made a big mistake. After living in Byron Bay for over a decade, the brand manager had signed on to join the cast of a new Netflix reality show called Byron Baes. But as soon as the show was announced, locals quickly pushed back. There was a protest and a petition calling on the streaming service to abandon its plans. Several Byron businesses announced they would not allow the show to film on their property. The Byron shire mayor asked the council to oppose the production.
“It was scary … I started second-guessing my decision to go on the show,” Brauer says now. “I was literally like, oh my god, what have I done? I’ve only ever felt comfortable living in this town. I’ve only ever felt loved within this town. Have I destroyed my Byron life by going on this show?”
