Dave Hughes has a heated exchange with an audience member

Dave Hughes has experienced his fair share of criticism during his lengthy career.

But nothing compared to the tense exchange he had with an audience member at the season finale taping of Hughesy, We Have a Problem, which airs on Monday.

The 49-year-old comedian told News.com.au a man had said ‘I hate you’ to his face on set of the panel show, leading to a heated clash.

Dave invited the man to the taping because his wife was a fan of the show.

‘It’s a problem in their relationship. She wants to watch the show but he never wants to see me on TV,’ said Dave, who had hoped to win the man over with his charm.

‘I just thought that he would back down. With online haters, once you meet them in person they’re generally pleasant, but this guy didn’t back down. He said “I hate you” to my face. He thinks that I’m putting on my whole persona.’

Dave continued: ‘He doesn’t think I’m real and I was like, “Mate, I’m as f**king real as they come! No one is f**king realer than me.”‘

The lighthearted segment soon became ‘heated’, and Dave admitted the two men ‘could have thrown chairs at each other’.

The Hughesy, We Have a Problem finale airs Monday at 8:45pm on Channel 10. 

The show was filmed earlier this year, before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread industry shutdowns.

As thousands of Australians struggle with unemployment, Dave encouraged people to ‘get on the dole’ earlier this month.

He told the Sun Herald that redundant workers shouldn’t feel embarrassed about needing help in troubled times.

‘Don’t be shy to bloody get on the dole, make the most of the government resources we have,’ said Dave, who had received benefits in his twenties.