She shot to online fame in 2014 after promoting her 51-bananas a day diet and now the Aussie vegan known at Freelee the Banana Girl – is now back in the spotlight and courting controversy.
Originally from Queensland, Freelee (whose real name is Leanne Ratcliffe) left the “concrete jungle” earlier this year, fleeing to the jungle jungle – an off grid cabin in South America.
Speaking to New Idea she recaps her year in the wild: “I’m loving my life at the moment. I’m actually the happiest I’ve ever been,” she says.
“I’m learning valuable lessons all the time and having serious life-changing revelations. My eyes have never been so open as they are today.”
Since she’s been living her all natural way – minus make up, clothes and plus all her body hair (no shaving allowed) she’s posted countless photos and videos to her vast social media following.
She and her partner film her taking an outdoor shower, wandering, or cycling, around the jungle naked and eating fruit she’s grown on her property.
“I finally grew some ovaries and started taking a stand against the beauty industry” she tells New Idea.
“In the past year I’ve given up removing my body hair after 25 years of doing so. Given up the slave paint (make up), stopped wearing painful fashion like bras, heels, restrictive fashion clothing. I finally feel relaxed within myself and now my mission is to show other women that YES it is OK to be your natural raw self and you must!”
But not all her 417,000 Instagram followers, are convinced.
Over the months some have become suspicious of her so-called “grid-free” lifestyle, accusing her of everything from secretly living in a mansion to being a fraud for using a smartphone and laptop.
“One commenter said I was lying and living in a mansion out here and have a photographer who follows me around taking all my pics,” she replied to them on Instagram.
“Not quite hunny. In reality I’ve been living in a tent under a shed for many months, through monsoonal rains and gale force winds.”
She tells New Idea she is unbothered by the negativity too.
“Ahhh my ‘haters’ are actually my biggest fans and help keep me relevant so I would never talk badly of them,” she laughs.
Follow Freelee’s adventures on Instagram
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