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Gran divides nation with ‘Bridget Jones underwear’

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A $10 bet at during a wet and soggy Oaks Day in Melbourne has turned a half-naked streaking grandmother into a national sensation.

Sue Veering-Bentley, a 52-year-old mental health support worker, was at the Flemington race day with friends when a ferocious storm rolled in, drenching race-goers and delaying the races.

During the heavy downpour, she took of her dress and ran up and down the grass in her underwear, in full view of onlookers, all the while clutching an umbrella.

Sue told Fairfax Radio she regularly attended Oaks Day, but this year was wet and miserable, so when her friend Debbie offered her $10 to strip out of her wet frock, she didn’t look back.

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While the horses were being taken back to their stalls during the storm, it was Sue making a mad 25-metre gallop that captured the attention of racegoers.

Character Bridget Jones clutches the infamous underwear in the film.

Character Bridget Jones clutches the infamous underwear in the film. Photo: Twitter

The footage went viral on social media and attracted reactions which ranged from disgusted and horrified, to supportive and encouraging.

On Friday morning, radio host Neil Mitchell asked Sue if she was embarrassed about the incident.

“No, but I’m worried the kids might be. It’s not the first time I’ve embarrassed them, but it’s the first time I’ve done it on a national scale,” Sue said.

“We go every year and it’s always fun, but it was wet and it was miserable, so I thought ‘let’s embrace it’.

“It wouldn’t have taken me $10, [I would have done it] for free.”

Mr Mitchell asked the mother-of-five how she felt about the footage going viral.

Some social media users had commented on her choice of underwear, which was off-white in colour.

“I had my ‘Bridget Jones’ on,” Sue joked, referring to the movie Bridget Jones’ Diary, where the lead character gets caught in an uncompromising position while wearing unattractive, oversized underwear.

“Hello, there’s a good message, when your mother tells you to wear good undies, she was right, wasn’t she?”

“It was funny, it was just a bit of fun. I can’t believe it went so mental.”

She agreed with Mr Mitchell saying she was a free-spirit.

Sue's friend Debbie says she hasn't laughed so hard in a long time.

Sue’s friend Debbie says she hasn’t laughed so hard in a long time. Photo: Twitter

“The world is far too serious now,” Sue said.

She also joked about getting a sponsorship deal with clothing and underwear company Bonds.

She told Fairfax Radio that she didn’t care what people thought or said about her stunt.

“I’m 52, the older you get the less you care. It’s a nice place to be,” Sue said.

Sue’s friend, Debbie, who offered her $10 to strip off also spoke to the radio station, and revealed she hadn’t yet paid her dues.

She also defended her friend, after people had come out and didn’t see the funny side side to the streak.

“She was complaining how wet her dress was and that it was see-through, so I dared her to do a nudie run,” Debbie said.

“I haven’t laughed so much in forever. It was brilliant. It was the best $10 I’ve never spent, because I haven’t paid her.

“I think it was a lot of fun, there is way too much drama and trouble going on in the world, and if people can’t have a good laugh at something.”

In another bizarre race day incident, this time on Melbourne Cup Day, a female race-goer pushed a Victoria Police acting superintendent over into a bush, which also went viral on social media.

She was arrested and later charged over the incident, which she said she was remorseful for.

There were mixed reactions on social media about Sue’s underwear stunt – which divided the nation.

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