Who Is Dr Peter Catt? Brisbane Reality Show Resignation Explained

The Very Rev. Dr Peter Catt is the longtime Anglican Dean of Brisbane who announced his retirement after controversy over allowing St John’s Cathedral to appear in the Stan reality series Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money, which follows prominent OnlyFans and adult-content creators.

Catt permitted filming inside the historic Brisbane cathedral and conducted a Christian reaffirmation ceremony for British OnlyFans creator Lily Phillips. The finished episode subsequently drew criticism within the Anglican Church, particularly after footage of congregation members and children appeared in the program. Catt says the production he ultimately saw was substantially different from what he believed he had agreed to host.

After weeks of controversy, an apology from Brisbane Archbishop Jeremy Greaves and a review of church filming policies, Catt announced on September 10, 2026, that he would retire after 18 years as Dean of Brisbane. His final Sunday in the role is scheduled for September 27.

Why Is Peter Catt Resigning As Dean Of Brisbane?

Catt announced his retirement after accepting responsibility for allowing the television production to film inside St John’s Cathedral. He said the decision came after “prayerful reflection” and discussions with Archbishop Jeremy Greaves and the cathedral team. 7NEWS7NEWS

Catt acknowledged that although he believed welcoming the production was consistent with his commitment to faith and inclusion, he had not put sufficient safeguards in place before agreeing to the filming. BrisbaneTimesreportBrisbane Times report

Catt said he was deeply saddened by the effect the controversy had on the cathedral community. He said he had come to believe it was time to conclude his tenure after 18 years as dean. 7NEWS7NEWS

What Happened At St John’s Cathedral?

The controversy began after St John’s Cathedral appeared in Episode 6 of Stan’s Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money. The series follows adult-content creators, including women Stan promotes as being among the most successful creators on OnlyFans. StanStan

The episode, titled “Thou Shalt Not Judge,” included British OnlyFans creator Lily Phillips visiting St John’s as she explored reconnecting with her Christian faith. StanStan

Catt conducted a religious reaffirmation ceremony for Phillips inside the cathedral. During the ceremony, he asked Phillips whether she turned to Christ, renounced evil and repented of her sins. She answered affirmatively and later participated in communion. 7NEWS7NEWS

Was Lily Phillips Baptized At St John’s Cathedral?

The ceremony has sometimes been described online as a baptism, but the church and Catt have described it as a reaffirmation ceremony. Phillips was shown reaffirming Christian commitments rather than undergoing a conventional first baptism. 7NEWS7NEWS

Catt later said that before the ceremony he spent several hours speaking with Phillips about her faith journey. He said his intention was to extend the cathedral’s sacramental hospitality to someone seeking to reconnect with Christianity. BrisbaneTimesreportBrisbane Times report

What Is Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money?

The Stan reality series follows successful adult-content creators and their personal and professional lives. Stan markets the program as a look inside the “controversial and opulent” world of creators at the top of the adult-content business. StanStan

Before the program premiered, Stan promoted its cast as women who had reached the top 1 percent of OnlyFans creators worldwide and in some cases earned more than $1 million a year. StanMediaStan Media

Phillips joined the Australian cast during the season and became central to the church storyline.

Did Peter Catt Know The Program Was About OnlyFans Creators?

Catt says he understood the project differently from the program that ultimately aired. He said he had been told the production concerned an influencer seeking to reconnect with Christianity after having previously been excluded from religious communities because of her sex work. BrisbaneTimesreportBrisbane Times report

Catt also said he understood there to be no commercial arrangement connected with Phillips’ visit to the cathedral. BrisbaneTimesreportBrisbane Times report

That means Catt’s account does not suggest he was unaware of Phillips’ background in sex work. His position is instead that the nature, presentation and broader context of the finished reality program differed from what he believed he had agreed to participate in.

Did The Anglican Church Say Producers Misled Peter Catt?

Yes. Brisbane Archbishop Jeremy Greaves said conversations with cathedral staff suggested the producers had misled Catt about the nature of the production. Greaves said the project had been presented as examining faith, intention and the complexities faced by someone previously excluded from religious communities because of involvement in sex work. Archbishop’sLetterArchbishop’s Letter

After viewing the finished series, Greaves said he was shocked by its “content, nature, and intent” and said it did not reflect the values of the Brisbane diocese. Archbishop’sLetterArchbishop’s Letter

He criticized the series as reality television that, in his view, attempted to validate the pornography industry. MediaweekMediaweek

What Did The Production Company Say?

Production company Mischief & Wonder disputed any suggestion that it filmed inside St John’s without permission. The company told Mediaweek that it received permission directly from Catt to film at the cathedral. MediaweekMediaweek

The production company also later cooperated with requests to alter footage showing other members of the cathedral community. MediaweekMediaweek

The competing accounts therefore concern what Catt and church officials understood the program to be, rather than whether Catt granted some form of permission for filming.

Why Were Children Appearing In The Program A Major Issue?

Footage filmed inside the cathedral included congregation members and children who were not part of Catt’s arrangement with producers. Catt said his agreement covered his own participation and not other members of the cathedral community. 7NEWS7NEWS

One young altar server was also shown in promotional material connected with the episode, prompting public questions about whether appropriate parental permission had been obtained. MediaweekMediaweek

Critics cited Anglican safeguarding policies concerning photographing and filming children and questioned how footage of minors ended up associated with promotional material for a program centered on adult-content creators. MediaweekMediaweek

What Did Peter Catt Say About The Footage Of Congregation Members?

Catt issued an unreserved apology. He said footage of congregation members and children appeared when the show originally aired even though his arrangement with producers had been limited to his own participation. 7NEWS7NEWS

Catt said producers subsequently apologized for accidentally including the churchgoers and either blurred or removed the affected people from the program. 7NEWS7NEWS

Did The Anglican Church Demand That Footage Be Removed?

Yes. The Brisbane diocese contacted the producers and demanded the removal of footage, images and content showing people other than Catt. Archbishop Greaves specifically identified footage of children as unacceptable. Archbishop’sLetterArchbishop’s Letter

Stan later said footage showing other individuals had been removed or modified following the church’s request. 7NEWS7NEWS

Did Archbishop Jeremy Greaves Apologize?

Yes. Greaves issued a formal apology to clergy on August 20. He apologized for the distress and anger caused by the decision to allow St John’s Cathedral to be used in the production. Archbishop’sLetterArchbishop’s Letter

Greaves said that regardless of whether producers had misled Catt, the incident exposed gaps in the diocese’s procedures for approving commercial filming inside Anglican properties. MediaweekMediaweek

Is The Anglican Church Changing Its Filming Policies?

Yes. Greaves ordered a review of the rules governing outside productions using churches and other diocesan properties. He said the church needed stronger due diligence before third parties could receive permission to film. MediaweekMediaweek

The controversy therefore produced consequences beyond Catt’s retirement by prompting a wider review of how the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane handles requests involving television and other media productions.

Did Everyone Agree With The Archbishop’s Criticism Of Sex Work?

No. Australian sex-worker advocacy organizations criticized Greaves’ characterization of the adult-content industry.

Scarlet Alliance, the national peak organization representing sex workers, and Queensland organization Respect Inc. objected to Greaves’ statement that the industry exploits women and girls. The groups argued that consensual adult sex work is lawful in Queensland and should not be equated with exploitation or abuse. ScarletAllianceScarlet Alliance

That response represents the organizations’ position and was separate from the dispute about filming permissions, the appearance of children and the cathedral’s internal approval procedures.

Who Is Dr Peter Catt?

Peter Catt has served as Dean of St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane since 2008. Before taking the Brisbane position, he served as Dean of Grafton from 1997 to 2007. AnglicanChurchofAustraliaAnglican Church of Australia

Catt holds a Bachelor of Divinity and a PhD in evolutionary microbiology. His church biography identifies his areas of interest as Christian formation, science and religion, liturgical innovation and narrative theology. AnglicanFocusAnglican Focus

He has also been active in social-justice issues and has chaired the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce and served as president of A Progressive Christian Voice. AnglicanFocusAnglican Focus

How Long Was Peter Catt Dean Of Brisbane?

Catt led St John’s Cathedral for approximately 18 years. Anglican Church records list him as Dean of Brisbane beginning in 2008. AnglicanChurchofAustraliaAnglican Church of Australia

His tenure included work on refugee advocacy, social justice, interfaith engagement and efforts to connect Anglican worship with contemporary social issues.

Was Peter Catt Fired?

No. The available reporting describes Catt as deciding to retire after consultation with the archbishop and cathedral team. He announced the decision himself after what he called prayerful reflection. 7NEWS7NEWS

Although news headlines have also described the move as a resignation, there has been no public announcement that Catt was dismissed or formally removed from his position.

When Is Peter Catt Leaving St John’s Cathedral?

Catt’s final Sunday as Dean of Brisbane is scheduled for September 27, 2026. He is expected to return from previously scheduled annual leave before conducting his final service. 7NEWS7NEWS

The church is expected to appoint an acting dean before beginning the process of finding a permanent successor. BrisbaneTimesreportBrisbane Times report

Why Did The Peter Catt OnlyFans Controversy Become Such A Major Story?

The dispute brought together several sensitive issues at once: the use of a historic cathedral, pornography and OnlyFans, religious inclusion, children appearing in reality television footage, and questions about who approved commercial filming inside a place of worship.

Catt has defended the principle behind welcoming Phillips, saying that everyone should be able to reconnect with faith and should not be defined solely by their work. 7NEWS7NEWS

At the same time, he accepted responsibility for failing to establish sufficient protections around filming and acknowledged the distress caused to members of the Anglican community. 7NEWS7NEWS

His September retirement announcement turned what had begun as a dispute over one reality-TV episode into the event that ended an 18-year tenure as Dean of Brisbane.