Kumari Shreya
Created by Brigid Delaney and Benjamin Law, ‘Wellmania‘ is an Australian comedy series that follows Liv Healy. As a young food blogger, her approach to life is seemingly simple, “live fast, die Young.” However, after a major health crisis and the potential opportunity to be a reality TV judge, Liv decides to make drastic changes and try every method out there that will help her get better as fast as possible. Needless to say, the task is far from easy and leaves viewers with many memorable moments to enjoy.
Starring the amazing Celeste Barber in the lead role, the show also features JJ Fong, Genevieve Mooy, and Lachlan Buchanan. Given the premise of this hilarious series, there have been many who cannot help but wonder if the on-screen events are actually inspired by real life. The topic of “fast health” is quite relevant in contemporary times, leaving many to wonder about how exactly the show came to be. Well, we are here to explore and the same and share what we know!
Wellmania: Based on Brigid Delaney’s Book
‘Wellness’ is partially based on a true story. The Netflix series is an adaptation of Brigid Delaney’s 2017 book, ‘Wellmania: Misadventures in the Search for Wellness.’ The work in question is actually part of the non-fiction genre, as it shares details of Delaney’s own “wellness journey.” About twelve years before the release of the book, the author realized the ever-growing industry surrounding the concept of wellness while in search of her own inner peace.
In the book, Delaney shares details of the various programs she undertakes in order to see their overall effectiveness. With processes as grueling as a 101-day detox, which meant that the author ate almost nothing, the challenges she faced were numerous, but the revelations were just as enlightening. Overall, Delaney compared the journey of wellness to a treadmill, as there is almost never an end in sight. With every program that she finished, there was more in wait for her, promising even better results than the previous one. There were even times that Delaney did see the promised results, but they did not last very long.
On December 11, 2021, it was revealed that Netflix would be adapting the non-fiction book into a television series, with Celeste Barber in the lead. However, it became clear early on that the series would not be a literal adaptation and would instead focus on a fictional food blogger. The motivation of Liv Healy to undertake a “wellness journey” is far from academic and is rooted in her desire to become successful. As such, the show provides many of the insights from Delaney’s book through a realistic and hilarious setting that easily captivates the viewers.
“I’m so excited about this project, the whole team is awesome,” Barber shared with Deadline while talking about the show. “We’ve been working on it for a while, and I’ve been busting to tell everyone about it. I’m drawn to projects that center around interesting, dynamic, and complex lead female characters, and that’s exactly what Wellmania is.” The sentiment behind the show certainly appealed to many others involved in the show whose reasons to work on it were quite similar.
“The search for wellness and meaning is a fundamentally human drive, and in a post-pandemic world, this quest carries for us more weight than ever. To have an artist with Celeste’s warmth and comedic talent guide us through the extremes, triumphs, and revelations of self-improvement and understanding is an absolute delight, and one we know our members will love.” Que Minh Luu, Netflix’s Director of Content in Australia and New Zealand, stated.
Despite being only slightly based on actual events, the relevance of ‘Wellmania’ in today’s world is easy to see. With people eager to fit into the conventional norms of “health,” the actual strain the process puts on one’s body and mind is often ignored. The show’s protagonist herself goes through a transformative journey that is more about her mental growth than her physical one. Within the folds of hilarious comedic punches, viewers get to see the importance of mental peace as well as the apparent absurdity of the wellness industry.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Wellmania Filmed?
