Australia wildfires: Phoebe Waller-Bridge raises $40,000 for relief efforts by selling Golden Globes suit

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Golden Globes outfit has been sold for $40,000 (£21,000) in aid of the relief effort for the Australian wildfires.

The official listing on eBay only appeared to have one bid - the winning amount of 40,000 Australian dollars.

The tuxedo, which was designed by Australian designers Ralph & Russo, was sold after being worn by the Fleabag star at the awards ceremony earlier this month.

The custom-made two-piece featured geometric black and gold ribbon appliqué, Chantilly lace and a silk lapel.

The auction page stated that the tuxedo was made to measure for the actor but is close to a UK size 12 and had also been signed by Waller-Bridge.

“I'm very excited that this stunning, one of a kind, couture tuxedo created by Australian geniuses Ralph & Russo will continue it's journey by contributing to this urgent cause”, Waller-Bridge said in a statement.

“If money raised by its auction can help raise funds to fight the disaster in Australia, the future impact of this suit will be far greater than the luck it brought me and the Fleabag team at the Golden Globes.

“To add to its allure... I spent most of the night brushing it past and rubbing it up against all the sparkly people I could find. These threads are laced with legends!”

The writer and producer has decided to split the proceeds of the winning bid between three charities: the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund, which will help Red Cross emergency teams, WIRES Wildlife Rescue Emergency Fund and Wildlife Victoria, which are both on the ground assisting in the rehabilitation and recovery of thousands of Australian wildlife.

The official Twitter page for Fleabag previously shared a video in which Waller-Bridge showed fans where stars at the Golden Globes had touched the outfit.

Tom Hanks, Sir Elton John and Olivia Colman were all said to have come into contact with the designer suit.

In a statement, designers Ralph and Russo said they are “delighted” by Waller-Bridge’s decision to sell the suit.

“Being both from Australia originally and with much of our family still residents across the region, it is with a heavy heart that we watch and hear the news of the terrible fires currently engulfing such large areas of our homeland,” they said.

“With Australia remaining so close to our hearts, we are delighted to stand next to Phoebe to support relief efforts with this special auction.”

Waller-Bridge joins a long list of celebrities who have helped raise funds for the relief effort in Australia, including Kylie Jenner, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman and Pink.

So far, millions of acres of land has burned in the blazes raging through Australia, which have killed 28 people and torched thousands of homes.

Experts have estimated over one billion animals have been killed, while some species may already have gone extinct as a result of the wildfires.

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