MasterChef Australia star Jimmy Seervai has revealed how Nadia Bartel’s white powder snorting scandal led to him launching successful vitamin brand Life Botanics.
Nadia, 37, was famously dropped by a number of sponsors after footage of the ex-WAG snorting white powder from a Kmart plate went viral during one of Melbourne‘s six Covid lockdowns in September 2021.
Among the brands to sever ties was vitamin company JS Health, who issued a statement that bizarrely referred to Nadia as ‘this individual’ rather than by name.
Aussie wellness entrepreneur Jimmy Seervai (left) has revealed how Nadia Bartel’s (right) white powder snorting scandal led to him launching successful vitamin brand Life Botanics
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Mr Seervai said he was inspired to launch Life Botanics after seeing how his now-competitor JS Health dealt with Nadia’s downfall.
‘The way JS Health treated her, dropping her so publicly, I thought bugger it, I’ll launch my own product. So it was a direct result,’ he said.
Mr Seervai, who previously worked as a food ingredient researcher, is now preparing to launch a new range of vitamins next week.
Nadia, 37, was famously dropped by a number of sponsors after footage of the ex-WAG snorting white powder from a Kmart plate went viral during one of Melbourne’s six Covid lockdowns in September 2021. Pictured is a screenshot from the footage
The campaign is fronted by Jodi Gordon who, like Nadia, has dealt with her fair share of public scandals over the years.
Despite Jodi’s woes – which included a recent stint in rehab for alcohol abuse – Life Botanics has stood by her.
The company, which is currently stocked in Coles, hopes to compete with JS Health by undercutting its premium pricing.
Speaking to the Herald Sun , Mr Seervai said he was inspired to launch Life Botanics after seeing how his now-competitor JS Health dealt with Nadia’s downfall
The campaign is fronted by Jodi Gordon (pictured) who, like Nadia, has dealt with her fair share of public scandals over the years
It comes after JSHealth founder and clinical nutritionist Jessica Sepel, lashed out at Life Botanics in March after the budget brand announced a ‘two bottles for $40’ deal for its wellness vitamins.
Life Botanics, which is backed by actress and model Jodi Gordon, angered Ms Sepel by spruiking the deal on social media alongside the tagline: ‘If you love JSHealth vitamins, you will love Life Botanics. Identical formulations, same results, half the price.
A single bottle of JSHealth’s ‘skin and digestion’ vitamins – which Life Botanics sells with similar ingredients – retails online for $45.
In March, Ms Sepel lashed out at Life Botanics after the budget brand announced a ‘two bottles for $40’ deal for its wellness vitamins, which are sold at Coles supermarkets, and used the tagline: ‘If you love JSHealth vitamins, you will love Life Botanics’
Ms Sepel, whose multimillion-dollar company is based in Sydney’s Double Bay, shared Life Botanics’ advert with her 390,000 Instagram followers, and wrote: ‘This is another level of not OK. How low can you go?’
‘I have the strongest community in the world, so please know this is NOT our brand and can never be. Our ingredients are very unique. Our community will help stop this from happening,’ she added.
‘I just have no words for how morally low people will go to make money. Luckily JSHealth was built on efficacy and trust, not the dollars.’
A single bottle of JSHealth’s ‘skin and digestion’ vitamins – which Life Botanics sells with similar ingredients – retails online for $45. By contrast, Life Botanics, which is backed by actress Jodi Gordon, is offering its ‘identical’ products at $40 for two bottles
In response to these claims, Lauren Jones, Senior Marketing Manager at Life Botanics, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘We have tremendous respect for the JSHealth products and as manufacturers we have the opportunity to offer consumers better value at a more affordable, everyday price.
‘At its core, healthy competition is a part of the Australian retail market. Our goal is to bring premium-quality products at an affordable price, no matter who we compare ourselves to.’.
Ms Sepel and her husband, JSHealth CEO Dean Steingold, once made the Australian Financial Review’s Young Rich List with an estimated worth of $426million.
The company’s roaring success now sees JSHealth sell a bottle of vitamins every 10 seconds, and there are now plans to expand into Britain, North America and Asia.
Ms Sepel and her husband, JSHealth CEO Dean Steingold, once made the Australian Financial Review’s Young Rich List with an estimated worth of $426million
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk