Even if you don’t follow Celeste Barber yourself, it’s likely you would have seen one of her mock photos of celebrities.
The internet sensation became popular in 2015 after creating a series of photos which Barber often noted were meant to add a touch of reality to celebrity standards.
In her most recent debut, the star is featuring as the lead in new Netflix original Wellmania which premieres this week.
Watch the trailer above.
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In the film, Barber plays Liv Healy, a bold and unhealthy food writer with a deep desire to appear as a judge on an American TV cooking competition.
Reflecting on her role, the star told the ABC that there were some big differences between herself and her character.
“[Liv has this] ability to live wholeheartedly in any given moment, in any given situation. She bathes in it, she marinates in it, and she lives it to its nth degree … No opportunity passes her by,” Barber said.
“I’m a little more cautious, I’m not as brave as her.”
The star, who rose to fame on the back of posting reality checks for celebrities and calling out unrealistic beauty standards said she refuses to give in to the pressure.
“As women, we get taught so often to abuse our body and hate our body. [But] I’ve really liked using my body, I’m so physically capable of so many things and … physical comedy is my most favourite thing in the world,” she shared.
“[But] I’m 40 now, it’s taken a good 58 years to get to that point,” she joked.
Barber revealed that her mindset is to refuse to absorb self hate.
“There’s a fair bit of training that goes into it, but I just refuse to hate how I look. And I go into a lot of stuff thinking that, and I think that’s how it comes across – and how I got to where I am.”
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Her reflections on her approach to body image seem to echo throughout her career journey. In 2015 she began jokingly exchanging screenshots of celebrities’ Instagram posts with her older sister Olivia.
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She told ABC RN’s Life Matters in 2016: “[Olivia] was saying, ‘Look at these photos! Normal people don’t do that.’ And I said, ‘Maybe normal people do do that. Challenge accepted.'”
Every post Barber would make would have the hashtag #celestechallengeaccepted attached to it, and overtime, her account gained a whopping 9.5 million followers.
Her followers include the likes of many celebrities and, now aged 40, Barber has become a celebrity herself.
Despite being in the world of stardom, even at points interviewed by Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Kimmel, Barber said she never gets star struck.
“I see it [celebrity] for what it is, and now that I’m in, I’m gonna blow it up from the inside,” she joked.
“But I’ll get the free sunglasses first – I’m not an idiot.”
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Not all celebrities took her mockery lightly, with Emily Ratajkowski blocking the star on Instagram.
Generally however, Barber has managed to stay away from celebrity feuds, focusing on her career growth. She has graced the covers of Vogue Australia and Vogue Portugal and even shared a passionate kiss with fashion designer Tom Ford as part of his 2018 New York Fashion Week campaign.
Outside of fashion, the star has built up an impressive comedic resume. The star has held a memorable role in ABC TV’s The Letdown, she’s performed at a string of sold-out live shows, authored three books, created a podcast, and worked on two stand-up specials.
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Despite the success appearing to come overnight, the comedian – who grew up in Terranora regional NSW – was diagnosed with ADHD at 16 and bullied at school.
Taking solace in TV shows such as Friends as well as drama and dance classes, the podcast host left home to attend drama school at University of Western Sydney’s now-defunct Theatre Nepean.
After graduating in 2002 she spent years working to land a huge role, but as motherhood came into the picture, she found it harder to land opportunities.
“I was still trying to audition and trying to get jobs, but women have children and they are forgotten about,” says Barber.
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Despite playing paramedic Bree Matthews on the medical drama All Saints from 2005-2009, Barber’s fame didn’t kick off until her Instagram series.
Barber admitted to the ABC in 2021: “I’m an overnight success, 20 years in the making.”
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