In 2015, Australian con woman Belle Gibson was living the dream. Her app The Whole Pantry was hugely popular and she was about to launch a book of the same name.

With hundreds of thousands of followers online, Belle had become a celebrated wellness influencer who'd overcome terminal cancer and had cured herself with healthy eating and holistic therapies. But it was all a lie.

The truth came to light when her friend, Chanelle McAuliffe, noticed gaps in Belle's story. The moment she exposed her deception is now the focus of the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar.

Today, Chanelle tells us what the show got right and wrong, the challenges she faced as a whistleblower, and how she feels about Belle and her crimes now, a decade on.

Find more episodes of True Crime Conversations here.

THE END BITS 

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CREDITS

Guest: Chanelle McAuliffe

Host: Gemma Bath

Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

GET IN TOUCH

Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast.

Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. 

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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Belle Gibson fooled not only her hundreds of thousands of followers, but the most prestigious book publishers in Australia, the tech giants of silicon valley and even her family and friends into believing she was something she was not: sick.

If today, her name is synonymous with the weighty infamy of a notorious scam, there was a time before that, when she was celebrated as an inspiration.

On this episode of Extraordinary Stories, we look at the rise of Belle Gibson.

From tall tales in school drama classes to international acclaim and influence, how did Annabelle Natalie Gibson become the pinup girl for the wellness movement?

Listen to part two here

Listen to part three here

THE END BITS:

With thanks to Bronwyn McCahon, Doctor Brad McKay and Kylie Willey 

RESOURCES WE USED:

The Woman Who Fooled The World by Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano 

Fake Medicine by Brad Mckay

The Girl Who Conned Us All by Clair Weaver https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/real-life/belle-gibson-the-whole-story-10129

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/local-news/belle-gibson-speaks-for-the-first-time-since-her-whole-pantry-controversy-13532 

With thanks to Tara Brown from 60 Minutes 

GET IN TOUCH:

Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writers: Emma Gillespie and Holly Wainwright

Producers: Melanie Sauer and Emma Gillespie

Audio Production: Elissa Ratliff and Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Holly Wainwright and Elissa Ratliff

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 3 of 3] A month before Amy Winehouse’s death, her performance at a music festival in Serbia was resoundly panned. She was intoxicated for the whole world to see, but the silver lining of what would be labelled 'the worst gig of her career' meant she didn’t have to go on tour. It meant Amy, and those who loved her, had their hopes pinned on a chance for Amy to get better again. 

On this episode we’ll explore the final years in the life of Amy Winehouse. After her closest friends were convinced Amy was doing better than ever, how did she die? Why was she sent on tour when she was not only unwilling, but unwell? 

Plus, we’ll take a closer look at the 27 club. What is this unique curse that looms over the legacies of these young artists?

Subscribe to Mamamia

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and produced by Emma Gillespie with Tia Ucich & Kally Borg

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Guest booking: Kally Borg

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor
Dean McCarthy

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 2 of 3] After a celebrated album with her debut, Frank, and with that distinct voice and sound, Amy Winehouse got very famous, very fast. Everyone wanted a second album, but Amy had entered a whole new world. On this episode, we’ll hear how Amy’s very private struggles with mental health and addiction became headlines for a relentless tabloid culture. And, in one of the most volatile love affairs in pop culture history, how would the story of Amy and Blake become a cautionary tale about the dangers of codependency?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and produced by Emma Gillespie with Elissa Ratliff, Tia Ucich & Kally Borg

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Guest booking: Kally Borg

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor
Dean McCarthy

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 1 of 3] You can recognise it in an instant, that iconic voice and a candid style of songwriting beyond her years. The sound of Amy Winehouse was a sound unheard of since the days of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. But the name ‘Amy Winehouse’ seems to be as synonymous with talent as it is tragedy. On this season we’ll dive deep into the life of Amy. From her rise to fame, her artistry, to her pain, her loves, and her losses. Could she have been saved? What does her death tell us about the pervasive grip of addiction and fame?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Written and Produced by Emma Gillespie and Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

With thanks to:

Dr Peter Hughes
Eleni Papavasileiou
Polly Taylor 

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 3 of 3] In the lead-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the world began to wonder how and if Peng Shuai would be used in the games, and whether the IOC was going to have anything to say to the Chinese Government about their silencing of the tennis star. So how did the Chinese propaganda juggernaut shift its attention to the global sporting stage? And what happens when the international community’s peak sporting body is accused of silencing a sexual assault survivor?

Plus, we investigate China’s Me Too movement. What does the story of Peng Shuai tell us about feminism in China?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writer: Emma Gillespie

Producers: Emma Gillespie, Kally Borg, Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Yaqiu Wang, Pan Wang, Tom Steinfort & Sydney Pead

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 2 of 3] For three long weeks in November 2021, the tennis community, news organisations, and human rights advocates the world over had one question; Where Is Peng Shuai? In the aftermath of a Weibo post detailing allegations of sexual assault against one of China’s top political figures, concerns for Peng Shuai's freedom were escalating swiftly. Then suddenly, proof of life. In this episode, we’ll learn more about the Chinese propaganda machine, and how it’s working to convince the world of Peng Shuai's safety, whilst censoring her story.

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writers: Emma Gillespie

Producers: Emma Gillespie, Kally Borg, Tia Ucich

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Yaqiu Wang, Drew Pavlou, Tom Steinfort & Sydney Pead

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 1 of 3] It was after 10 pm, on November 2nd, 2021 when 35-year-old Peng Shuai - China’s beloved global tennis star - sat down and began typing. Truncated sentences of an open letter, detailing an affair and sexual assault involving one of China’s highest-ranking political figures. It took only a few minutes before the post had amassed thousands of shares, likes, and comments. But within half an hour, it vanished. And moments later, so too did Peng Shuai.

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie

Writers: Emma Gillespie, Tia Ucich 

Producers: Emma Gillespie

Guest booking: Kally Borg 

Audio Production: Madeline Joannou

Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff

WITH THANKS TO:

Sydney Pead, Yaqiu Wang and Drew Pavlou

GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 2 of 2] From 2013 until just a few weeks ago, Amanda’s Bynes life was controlled by a conservatorship, governed primarily by her mum, Lynn. In the wake of Britney Spears’ bombshell revelations about her own conservatorship, the #freebritney movement turned its attention to Amanda. Knowing what we now know about conservatorships and how they can be manipulated, why did it take more than eight years for Amanda to regain control of her own life?

CREDITS
Host: Emma Gillespie
Written and Produced by Sydney Pead & Emma Gillespie
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou
Executive Producer: Sydney Pead

With thanks to:
Laura Brodnik, Host of The Spill
Louisa Hatfield, Former Editor of New Weekly, Woman's Day
Sarah Wentz - Lawyer at Fox Rothschild, U.S.
Megan Radford - #freebritney Campaigner


SOURCES:
Entertainment Tonight
9 News
New York Times - Framing Britney Spears
TMZ

GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 1 of 2] She was the queen of Nickelodeon, beloved by teens of the noughties. But just as her movie career was taking off, something happened to Amanda Bynes. In this two-part series, we’re looking back on the life and career of Amanda Bynes before, during and after things got out of control.

We’ll dive into the paparazzi culture that hounded and taunted young Hollywood starlets, and question our historic understanding of the mental health issues at play. What caused Amanda Bynes to crumble alongside a generation of young stars? And where has Amanda been for the last nine years?

CREDITS:

Host: Emma Gillespie
Written and Produced by Sydney Pead & Emma Gillespie
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou
Executive Producer: Sydney Pead

With thanks to:
Laura Brodnik
Louisa Hatfield

SOURCES:
Entertainment Tonight
Paper Magazine
Nickelodeon
Dreamworks film She's The Man
Splash News TV


GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au
Need more lols, info and inspo in your ears? Find more Mamamia podcasts here... https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Part 3 of 3] Charlene Wittstock had made it through years of tabloid speculation about her marriage to the Prince of Monaco, but in 2020, just as she found some peace, a new, yet very familiar scandal involving her husband rattled the palace. Then, in a matter of weeks Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene left the country and wouldn’t return for almost a year. Had a serious illness kept her away from her children and her husband’s new paternity battle? Or did Charlene not want to come home?

CREDITS
Host: Emma Gillespie
Written and Produced by Sydney Pead & Emma Gillespie
Audio Production: Madeline Joannou
Executive Producer: Sydney Pead

With thanks to:
Professor Chandrika Kaul- Historian, University of St Andrews
Maddalena Maestrostefano - Royal Correspondent, Royal Central
Chelsea McLaughlin - Entertainment Reporter, Mamamia

SOURCES:
Entertainment Tonight
South Africa Radio 702
PEOPLE Every Day podcast

Subscribe to Mamamia: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.