Freelee the Banana Girl Deep Dive Episode 1: The OG 'Wellness Warrior'

Freelee the Banana Girl was the face of the online vegan movement in Australia. The OG wellness warrior captured mainstream attention when she claimed she ate 51 bananas. What started out as a mission to spread awareness about veganism, quickly became a toxic crusade for online power and clout. Rather than fighting for the rights of animals, Freelee fought with other vegans and influencers. And instead of progressing the vegan movement, she instead progressed her own personal agenda. These days, Freelee is somewhat of an internet urban legend of the 2010s. Internet whispers say she’s still living off the grid in a jungle. Despite her influence being at full power over a decade ago, her Raw Til 4 Diet is still being blamed for fueling follower’s eating disorders.  We are journalists Amy, Kate & Sophie Taeuber and we’re fascinated by the world of influencers and the psychology of cancel culture. In this series we will delve into Freelee’s biggest scandals, her fall from grace  and the danger of influence.  Subscribe to Outspoken Plus Outspoken Plus is our subscription offering that provides subscribers with exclusive access to BONUS weekly episodes. Every week, we’ll be dropping content so juicy, we’ve had to put it behind a paywall. A monthly Outspoken Plus subscription costs $5.99 a month, or save with our annual package, for just $49.99 a year*. There are three ways you can become an Outspoken Plus subscriber. Apple users can subscribe via Apple Podcasts here: apple.co/outspoken, while Android users can subscribe via Spotify here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/outspoken-plus/subscribe or Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/outspoken_plus. * An annual subscription is only available on Apple Podcasts.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.