Comedian Shane Jacobson reveals surprising pub change sparked by local women at Dederang Hotel in rural Victoria

When actor Shane Jacobson decided to buy a pub in rural Victoria, he knew preserving its country charm would be key.

That meant any changes to the Dederang Hotel had to be made carefully, with locals firmly in mind — but balancing tradition with progress hasn’t come without challenges.

“We’ve tried to keep one foot in the past and one in the future,” Jacobson told 7NEWS.com.au.

“Our motto in the end was, ‘Change nothing, improve everything’.”

Jacobson said while there were practical upgrades the venue needed, it was conversations with locals that ultimately shaped the most meaningful changes — particularly for the women who regularly visited the pub.

One discussion in particular sparked a surprisingly impactful renovation.

“Like, we figured we should move the male toilets so that when women are at the bar they don’t have to look back through the door and see men weeing,” Jacobson explained.

After speaking with female patrons, he discovered some women avoided using the hotel bathrooms altogether and would wait until they got home.

That feedback prompted upgrades to the women’s bathrooms, along with the addition of booth seating so women and families could sit together more comfortably.

The Kenny star said they focused on subtle improvements that enhanced the experience for patrons without stripping away the pub’s identity.

“We learnt that we had to change some things, without ultimately changing the pub,” he said.

The venue had been owned by its previous publican for 30 years and was deeply woven into the local community, hosting everything from weddings and wakes to sponsoring sporting clubs and events.

“Everything comes back to the pub,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson and his friend, Australian producer and director Dean Murphy, are now documenting the rollercoaster journey in Oops! I Bought A Pub.

The series follows everything from the email that sparked the life-changing idea to the realities of running the iconic country venue.

It was Murphy who first floated the idea, casually slipping the suggestion into the bottom of a work email.

While Jacobson lived more than three hours away, Murphy had grown up in the Kiewa Valley, where the Dederang Hotel is located, and understood just how important the pub was to the community.

When Jacobson first announced the takeover at a local race meet, he admitted he was nervous about how locals would react but said his recognisable face helped ease concerns and win over the crowd.

Despite the challenges, Jacobson said keeping the pub thriving for locals became a major motivator — particularly in a farming community such as Dederang.

“There were so many things that we had to improve, but so many things we had to sort of not do too much to,” Jacobson said.

“And, you know, we think we got the mix right. We had to make sure we kept its old country charm.”

Oops! I Bought A Pub airs 8pm Saturdays on Seven and 7plus.