'Insane': Viewers give their verdict on 'bonkers' Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar

New Netflix showApple Cider Vinegar is all about Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson, who faked having cancer to promote diet and alternative therapies - and the six-part series has already been declared "bonkers" and "insane" by viewers.

"Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way.

"All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were all true. This is a true-ish story based on a lie, about the rise and fall of a wellness empire; the culture that built it up and the people who tore it down," according to the plot synopsis.

Gibson claimed she cured her terminal brain cancer through diet and alternative therapies, and created the app The Whole Pantry and a cookbook. The recipe app cost $3.79 AUD and was bought over over 300,000 times, making over $1 million AUD, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The cast stars Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson and Alycia Debham-Carey as Milla Blake, where rivalry between the two characters leads to Gibson upping the ante with her scam which eventually results in the truth finally being uncovered.

The series is adapted from the book The Woman Who Fooled The World – written by journalists, Beau Donelly and Nick Toscan who uncovered in 2015 that Gibson never had cancer nor was she donating money from her app to charity as she had claimed.

As a result, Gibson was fined $410,000 AUD for misleading or deceptive conduct and unconscionable conduct.

Later in 2019, Gibson claimed she was "adopted” by the Ethiopian Oromo community in Melbourne and even changed her name to Sabontu. But when community leader Dr Tarekegn Chimdi was informed of Gibson's past, she was asked to leave.

"It was concerning when someone is using the community’s name who is not a member of that community," he said.

At the time of writing, this is the latest update from Gibson as she is no longer on social media.

So what is and isn't real in the show?

Well, the show is "inspired by a true story" but notes that "certain characters and events have been created or fictionalised," with one example being that Milla is a fictional character, who is thought to be at least loosely based on Jess Ainscough - the woman behind The Wellness Warrior blog as she shared her cancer “recovery” journey using alternative therapies, and later died in 2015 at the age of 29.

Since Apple Cider Vinegarwas released on Netflix yesterday (February 6), viewers have been sharing their thoughts on the series, and they can't quite believe what they are watching.

One viewer described how Apple Cider Vinegaris "so insane" and how they are frozen to their couch watching what happens.

While another summed their feeling about the show with one simply GIF.

"Watching Apple Cider Vinegar and realizing that some of these wellness guru's and people that peddle false medical information that stops people from getting necessary treatment need to go to jail. I understand that its important to question Dr's and always get a 2nd opinion," someone else posted, reflecting on the show's themes.

"My favorite movie genre is: dramatic re-enactment of real-life con artists," one user joked.

While another user described how "the first episode was bonkers".

Kaitlyn Dever has also been receiving praise for her Australian accent in the show.

Apple Cider Vinegar is available to stream now on Netflix.

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