Church leader shares ‘deep regret’ as he steps down and retires after video with Lily Phillips

At the start of the year, Lily Phillips undertook a pilgrimage of sorts when she got baptised to cement her relationship with God. 

People thought it was a gag at first; after all, this was the same OnlyFans model who slept with 100 men in a day. But it was very real for Lily, who had experienced some kind of hardship that forced her to “look to God” for guidance and strength.

“Quite a big thing happened in my personal life, where I felt the need to start speaking to God again,” she said. “I hadn’t really practised faith for a while. I just wanted to get rebaptised to reinstate my relationship with God.”

She was successfully baptised at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane, Australia, and the video quickly went viral. Lily soon returned to her x-rated exploits, and though she recieved criticism, she argued that her faith and her career are not at odds. 

“I understand that my faith and my work don’t fit neatly into everyone’s expectations of what a Christian ‘should’ look like,” she said. “I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting, praying, and being honest with myself about both.”

Well, now something unexpected has happened: The church leader who did the baptism has resigned. 

Hold on, why did Peter Catt resign after the Lily Phillips video?

So this viral saga happened in January, and for the last few months, the Christian community has been debating the ethics of the situation. The TV show that filmed Lily Phillips’ baptism, Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money, copped controversy too, with the church saying it was manipulated into performing the baptism under false circumstances. 

Now, after months of debate and countless Christian think pieces about the morals, St John’s Cathedral Dean Peter Catt has issued an apology in his official resignation from his position. He’s been the dean for 18 years. 

Most Read

Celebrities are calling out Ariana Grande’s team for ‘absolutely appalling’ petal music video

The internet never forgets: The biggest male celeb nude leaks ever, and how they responded

Love Island’s over, so here’s every 2026 couple’s relationship status and who’s already split

In his official resignation, the dean said he was misled about the nature of the filming, believing it to be a documentary about an influencer seeking to reconnect with her faith after being excluded because of her s*x work.

He explained: “It was my decision for the Cathedral to participate in a television show that was later named Turned On: Dirty Sexy Money. I come from a place of faith, love and acceptance and I believe everyone has the right to connect with their faith.

Credit: Stan

“But, I understand my decision has caused distress and concern within the faith community. My arrangement with the producers was limited to my own participation and no other members of the Cathedral community. 

“However, footage taken during filming, including members of our congregation and children, was included in the programme (sic) when it first aired. I deeply regret that this happened and unreservedly apologise.”

The production company, Stan, has also apologised for its part in the scandal, removing footage of congregation members at the request of the diocese.

Now, the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane is reviewing its policies and approval processes for filming inside Church-owned buildings. 

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook. 

Featured image credit: Stan/Lily Phillips