Grill’d investor Geoff Bainbridge takes PR whiz Lahra Carey on wild ride

When video leaked of the ex-Lark boss smoking an icepipe, this PR whiz was called in to calm the storm — then she became part of the story.

Geoff Bainbridge has emerged again without his trousers, but thankfully this time his hand is not on his snake.

This time, the former multi-millionaire Grill’d investor is actually overseas and not in Middle Park.

It was a few years ago and the glass pipe is nowhere to be seen, nor can the former Lark Distillery chief executive be heard uttering, “Let’s get f--king high together, baby. I’d smoke meth and just blow it all over your …”

Geoff Bainbridge in Capetown.

Yes, well, even Page 13 has to draw the line somewhere.

The video shows a gurning and grinding Bainbridge removing his pants in a Cape Town bar, to show off his pineapple patterned Happy Socks jocks and green anklet socks.

But fast forward to what has happened since those crazy days.

Carlton Football Club board member and publicist Lahra Carey was behind the crisis communications when the Icegate pic appeared.

Lahra Carey Media & Communications and NewsFlash Media was acquired by former Carlton prez Mark LoGiudice and Blues powerbroker Craig Mathieson before she joined the board in September last year.

Carey was married to Ben Cowen, the co-founder of the Anaconda chain and son of former Governor-General Sir Zelman, who died in a tragic paragliding accident on the Great Ocean Road in 2017.

He’s been caught in his jocks again...

...with matching green socks.

But back to Bainbridge and The Age’s spoiler story that sent Melbourne’s media into meltdown.

Was Chip Le Grand, a Walkley Award winner, duped and why would PR whiz Carey, who some say is the best in the business, get it so wrong? Carey told one journo this week that she “wasn’t the story”.

Unfortunately, this is one yarn that she cannot bury.

Our sources say Carey was drafted in late in the piece after receiving a call from Bainbridge’s lawyer Alex King.

PR whiz Lahra Carey and her late husband, Anaconda co-founder Ben Cowen.

She was given a professional-looking report from a London firm claiming Bainbridge was the victim of an extortion plot by computer hackers who had the power to change the date stamp on video footage.

Carey was under time pressure and when she received the call Bainbridge was on a jet to Los Angeles.

A hastily arranged Zoom call followed with Le Grand, Bainbridge and Carey where the former Grill’d investor poured out his heart, spinning a yarn better than the spider in Charlotte’s Web.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Geoff Bainbridge in a video where he was caught smoking a glass pipe and performing lewd acts.