A sweet snap of Celeste Barber’s ex Api Robin spending Father’s Day with their two boys melted hearts among the former “hot husband’s” 274,000 Instagram followers on September 7.
The image showed Api – who announced his split with comedian Celeste after a two-decade relationship in February 2026 – enjoying a meal of sushi with Lou, 13, and Buddy, 10.
“Happy Fathers Day legends. Counting blessings,” Api captioned the photos, which included an image of him with his two daughters from a previous relationship, Sahra and Kyah.
The post led to an outpouring of love for the arborist, with one friend telling him, “What a role model you are”.
Meanwhile, over on the social media page of his ex, the mood was a little different.
Celeste was keeping her own cohort of 9.5 million followers entertained with a plea for the week ahead “to be kind”.
“Alright Monday, DO YOUR WORST,” the star posted with trademark humour to a video of her dancing in the kitchen of her Gold Coast home.
“And by ‘worst’ I mean, please, oh please be kind. It’s been a lot and all us ladies are freaking out a little…. First that eclipse moon, then DOLLY, then GLORIA, like come on!!” she added, referring to the recent deaths of country singer Dolly Parton and social activist Gloria Steinem.
“We, the ladies, are doing all the things necessary with the gel and the protein and the exercise, and the not too much cardio (remember, that’s old now it’s all weights?) so we’re doing all the f***ing weights and drinking water and something about collagen and self care and, and, and…”
Celeste went on to say that she felt Mondays should “let up a bit”.
“And just think, if you start this maybe Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday might follow suit, then we could maybe just maybe get a full week of not panicking, freaking out, feeling guilty and exhaustedm” she quipped. “NB Thursday, Friday and Saturday are pretty chill, I think they would be more than happy to join in.”
Now, insiders tell New Idea that beneath her beloved comedic take on life, Celeste is going through a time of change – and one that has proved challenging at times.
“Celeste is going through a multitude of big life changes right now and yes it was bittersweet seeing her boys celebrate Father’s Day with their dad,” the source explains. “For 20 years that was a big day for the family so it’s not easy being left out of those special moments.”
The insider said that while relations remain cordial between Celeste, 44, and Api, 52, and “things are settling down” post-split, Celeste’s well-documented transition through perimenopause “isn’t helping”.
“She’s not giving herself enough repair time,” the source adds, adding that her Backup Dancer tour combined with commitments to her beauty brand Booie Beauty, and a need to “feed a huge Instagram account” take their toll.
“It’s a lot, which leaves zero time for romance – something her friends and family are desperate for her to try,” the source adds.
“Moving on from such a long-term relationship isn’t easy, but her friends worry she’s given up on love and has no interest in giving it another shot.”
The insider adds that it may even take a nudge in the form of Api moving on with a new partner before Celeste “gets serious” about her personal life.
“She’s still processing what went wrong between her and Api,” the source explains.
“It’s why it’s still so hard when she’s not there on special family days. It’s not the first time and sadly nor will it be the last.”
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