'I cannot continue': Popular Barry's Bootcamp trainer quits after posting explosive accusations on Instagram that later vanished... as ex-Neighbours star manager hangs up over staff whispers

A Barry's Bootcamp instructor has dramatically quit the upscale gym, declaring that she no longer felt aligned with the company's culture and accusing it of allowing 'certain behaviours and actions' to take place.

Nicole Swift (née Christey), a longtime Barry's instructor based in Sydney, announced in a now-expired Instagram post that she was leaving Barry's Australia 'for good'.

'Today was my last class at Barry's Australia. I have made the decision to leave effective immediately (for real this time lol),' she shared on Sunday.

But it was the explanation that raised eyebrows in a post that has since been screenshotted and widely circulated among fellow trainers.

'I cannot continue to align myself with a brand that has allowed certain behaviours and actions to take place,' she wrote.

'After a lot of thought, I've realised that I can't continue to be part of a business when I no longer feel that alignment exists.'

Swift did not name any Barry's employees or members of senior leadership in her post, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any individual connected to the company.

It comes after I became aware of alleged staff discontent at Melbourne's South Yarra studio, which is popular with influencers and the city's well-heeled fitness crowd.

Reports of dissatisfaction among some employees are understood to be tied, in part, to questions surrounding the appointment of a trainer who has since left the company and is now employed at another gym in Perth.

The South Yarra branch is notable for having a celebrity as its training manager: Ariel Kaplan, a former actress known for roles in Neighbours and The Saddle Club who built a second career in the fitness industry.

Earlier this month, I spoke at length to Barry's sources about the workplace chatter.

Unfortunately, the details of that investigation could not be published for legal reasons, and it remains unclear whether there is any link between that drama and Swift's public resignation.

At the time, I called Kaplan to ask about the staff whispers. 'I have nothing to say,' she told me before abruptly ending the call.

The Daily Mail does not suggest Kaplan is accused of any personal wrongdoing.

While Swift's decision to walk away from Barry's appears to have been prompted by her own concerns about the company, her pointed public statement has shone a fresh light on the culture behind the scenes.

Her declaration that she 'cannot continue' to work at the trendy gym is now said to be the talk of current and former instructors, who are speculating feverishly about what prompted her departure. 

Swift, who hails from Sydney's Northern Beaches, was once considered one of the public faces of the brand, appearing on the cover of Body+Soul magazine alongside fellow female trainers.

The gym - famous for its signature HIIT studio, the Red Room, with its moody lighting, nightclub soundtrack and mirrored walls - is also known for elevating its trainers to celebrity-adjacent status.

With that in mind, it is hardly surprising that a former TV star like Kaplan rose quickly through the ranks.

During her acting career, Kaplan was no stranger to a little off-screen soap drama, having previously dated her former Neighbours co-star Harley Bonner, who played her twin brother on the show.

The pair began dating in 2013 while working together on Ramsay Street and went on to enjoy a three-year romance.

They split amicably in 2016, with reports at the time suggesting they remained in contact.

Bonner, the son of actress Carla Bonner, later married Sydney model Natalie Roser.

Barry's was approached for comment regarding the staff chatter surrounding Kaplan but did not respond to my emails.

Founded in Los Angeles in 1998, Barry's Bootcamp has become one of the world's most influential boutique fitness brands, building a cult following through its combination of high-intensity treadmill and strength-training classes.

Known for its celebrity clientele, nightclub-style workouts and premium prices, Barry's expanded across the US and Europe before arriving in Australia in 2018, opening its first Sydney studio then expanding into Melbourne.