I saw Celeste Barber’s marriage split coming years ago. I’ll never forget that painful day in the Qantas lounge. It all makes sense now: AMANDA GOFF

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I’m about to share something potentially scandalous. It could get me in serious trouble, even leading to the loss of my travel documents, or spark outrage online.

Here goes: I don’t find comedian Celeste Barber remotely funny anymore. 

Gasp. There, I’ve said it.

The timing couldn’t be worse, as reports have just surfaced that her 20-year marriage to Api Robin – whom she often playfully called ‘the hot husband’ – has ended.

I can already hear the outraged wails.

Amanda, I can’t believe you said that! Celeste is a role model – she’s someone people can connect with. She challenges the impossible beauty expectations we see everywhere and calls out the artificiality of social media. She feels like one of the everyday people.

Look, I get it, people understand how parody works. But I’ve been following Celeste for ages, and what she does is brilliant! She’s built a whole brand – and seriously, she’s doing really well financially – by hilariously taking down those perfectly polished influencers, stuck-up models, and celebrities who just don’t get it. Her thing is, she recreates their over-the-top Instagram posts and photoshoots, but does it all in her living room, ditching the fancy effects and adding a healthy dose of goofy underwear. It’s genius!

I remember exactly when I first noticed her – it was back in 2015! She just destroyed Kim Kardashian, and honestly, it was glorious. Kim was doing that whole…artistic nude thing, you know, lying half-naked in dirt with a photographer perfectly placed, and she just called her out on it. That’s when I knew she was different, a true icon. It was brilliant!

It appeared at the perfect moment, right when Instagram was becoming dominated by celebrities, and it gave people exactly what they wanted.

While apps like Facetune and filters create unrealistic images, a relatable mother from the Central Coast gained attention by rejecting those standards. She quickly became famous for her honest and unfiltered appearance, becoming an icon overnight with her natural look.

We all burst out laughing, and somehow, it made us feel a little more comfortable with our bodies, imperfections and all.

In 2017? Still funny.

And in 2018? I was still chuckling.

After ten years, does anyone else feel like this is just the same old joke with a new look?

It’s also started to feel a little mean – and I’m not the only one who thinks so. 

Emily Ratajkowski blocked Celeste after Celeste asked her to stop sharing images of her. Ratajkowski claimed Celeste’s jokes were sexist.

She sharply criticized the tendency to unfairly target female influencers, suggesting they’re often treated as if they’re the worst and most embarrassing people around.

Celeste’s clapback? Well, it was pretty mean too, actually.

In a podcast, Ratajkowski explained that someone blocked her after she posted something they didn’t appreciate.

I initially found it uninteresting, then realized I couldn’t proceed. I tried to lighten the mood, hoping for a more playful response, but when that didn’t happen, I decided to stop.

Honestly, it broke my heart. I was hoping, praying, she’d maybe take a second and think about what people were saying – if her jokes were accidentally playing into those awful ‘pick-me’ tropes. But no. She just… doubled down. It was like she didn’t even hear the criticism. ‘Just have a sense of humour!’ she practically yelled, and it was just… ugh. Same old Celeste, I guess. It’s frustrating, because I love her, but sometimes… it’s just so disappointing.

By this point, I was over it. I’d written off Celeste as a comedic one‑trick pony. 

But the merits of her act aren’t the issue here.

Over time, the playfully rebellious person we once knew has gradually become the kind of polished celebrity she used to make fun of.

She’s transformed her physique, going from unsteady to strong and sculpted. With a stylish new haircut and a former Netflix series under her belt, she’s also ventured into the beauty industry and appeared on magazine covers, looking like a completely new version of herself.

It’s clear she’s transformed. She’s become so famous that it’s now hard to distinguish her from the celebrities she used to playfully make fun of.

As Morrissey famously sang, some jokes lose their humor when they hit too close to reality – when they’re painfully true and touch on sensitive subjects.

Her marriage has ended, which is particularly noteworthy because she built a strong connection with many Mamamia readers – particularly mothers – who supported her work for a long time.

After two decades together, Celeste and Api are divorcing. They are parents to Lou, age 14, and Buddy, age 11.

Surprisingly, Celeste wasn’t the one who shared the news – it was Api. He announced it to his 288,000 Instagram followers with a post:

We still care about each other and have a lot of respect, but we’ve realized we’re at different points in our lives and want different things moving forward.

To be upfront: female celebrities aren’t required to publicly share details about their divorces. They don’t have to feel pressured to post emotional videos or lengthy explanations.

Celeste stands out because she’s created a brand built on relatability. She openly shares the real, sometimes messy, parts of her life – from her casual appearance to including her husband in her public image – making her feel like one of us.

So yes, her silence is impossible to ignore. Deafening, in fact.

Considering everything she’s been through lately, it wouldn’t surprise me if she ended up giving an interview in a magazine like Marie Claire or The Cut soon. She’d probably talk about her breakup in a way that makes Gwyneth Paltrow’s famous ‘conscious uncoupling’ seem straightforward and clear.

Isn’t it all a little… ironic? 

I won’t guess at the reasons for their divorce – their personal life is their own business. Ending a marriage is always difficult, but lasting 20 years is something to be proud of.

I have to admit, a few years back I saw Celeste and Api in the Qantas lounge and for a moment, I completely forgot I was a journalist. I was actually a little starstruck!

Celeste walked confidently toward the buffet, while Api followed behind, carrying the bags and seeming like a loyal assistant.

And I remember thinking: I’d just seen the dynamic right there. She was running the show. 

I’ll always remember a photo of them taken at the Babylon premiere in 2023. Celeste looked stunning in red, really embracing her newfound celebrity, and Api, as always, looked incredibly handsome beside her.

I can’t help but notice their body language. She’s positioned slightly ahead of him, while he stays back a bit. They don’t seem close or connected – they appear to be simply standing near each other for the sake of a photo, together but not really touching.

Even the way they were holding hands looked ever so slightly… staged.

I’m no body‑language expert – it was just an impression that lingered.

All weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about Api’s odd wording: ‘We are at capacity.’

What was he implying? They seemed very happy and in love in the United States in late October – they definitely didn’t appear to be struggling then.

Did he feel overshadowed by his wife’s success, especially in public settings like the Qantas Lounge? Having observed similar dynamics in other couples where the wife is more prominent, it’s a possibility. However, I don’t have any special knowledge about the reasons for their separation, and it’s worth remembering that Api frequently expressed how proud he was of his wife.

For over ten years, Celeste was known as the most authentic person on Instagram. However, despite her popularity, her followers didn’t realize her marriage was falling apart.

They appeared incredibly happy just a few months ago, but then broke up by Valentine’s Day. It seems their public displays of affection were hiding problems in the relationship.

And really, is there anything more artificial than that?

 

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2026-02-16 16:10