TV presenter Susie Elelman dating cocaine bust mystery man

AUSSIE TV presenter Susie Elelman has found herself caught up in a drug-related scandal after she discovered her “dream man” was arrested for allegedly trying to import 700kg of cocaine on a yacht.

HE is the part-time model and musician who claimed to love older women.

She’s the legend of Australian TV who thought she’d finally found her prince charming.

But a blossoming romance between Channel Ten presenter Susie Elelman and a mysterious Newcastle man screeched to a sudden halt last week when he was one of three men arrested as part of a massive cocaine bust.

Craig Lembke, 47, was refused bail on Thursday, charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, after a yacht loaded with 700 kilograms of cocaine was tracked from Tahiti to Coffs Harbour before being seized by authorities at Lake Macquarie.

Susie Elelman confirmed she was an acquaintance of Craig Lembke’s and was “blindsided” by his arrest.

Lembke and two other men, Kent Jackson, 63, and Dennis Bath, 68, allegedly met the yacht in Tahiti and sailed it to Lake Macquarie where they were apprehended with cocaine with a street value of $245 million.

It’s understood the arrest came as a complete shock to Elelman who, according to a close female friend of the Studio 10 fill-in host, had no inkling of her beau’s so-called “double life” and watched in horror as the story unfolded on the Thursday evening news.

Elelman, who lives in Sydney’s inner west, had been openly talking about the new man in her life, who began courting her with a series of flattering emails and texts back in July.

Police remove the massive drug haul from the yacht in Lake Macquarie last week. Picture: Peter Lorimer

The TV host told friends Lembke often claimed to be away sailing.

“For months we had all been hearing about this ‘Saxanova’ ... this amazing younger guy who played saxophone in a band and modelled part-time,” said the friend who didn’t want to be named.

“He sounded like the perfect man. He saw Susie on Studio 10 and reached out for a date and they hit it off. Susie was totally blown away by the whole romance and thought he was her dream guy.”

It’s understood Lembke contacted Elelman after she appeared on Studio 10 to discus dating as an older woman.

Seventeen years Elelman’s junior, Lembke broke the ice by declaring he had no problem dating a woman older than he was and stated that he found the bubbly TV identity “gorgeous”.

After several weeks of flirty texts the pair met in Sydney for a date that lasted for several hours.

However, the 63-year-old did admit to friends that Lembke had an annoying habit of not following through on plans and often claimed to be away sailing.

“Also ... she noted that he didn’t own a credit card and always carried cash ... which she thought was odd,” her friend said.

Elelman confirmed she was an acquaintance of Lembke’s and was “blindsided” by his arrest.

However, she declined to comment further.