Molly-Mae Hague breaks silence after backlash over podcast comments
Molly-Mae Hague has broken her silence after sparking a backlash with remarks she made about her background and privilege.
The Love Island star was called “tone deaf” and “Thatcherite” after saying on the Diary Of A CEO podcast that “you’re given one life and it’s down to you what you do with it”, that she’d worked her “a*** off” for her money and that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day to achieve things.
However, the 22-year-old has denied she was “commenting on anyone else’s life or personal situation”.
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Representatives for the star - who is creative director of retailer PrettyLittleThing – told The Sun: “If you listen to the full conversation and interview, Molly was asked about how the nature of her potential grows and how she believes in herself.
“This part of the interview was discussing time efficiency relating to success. Molly refers to a quote which says ‘We all have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce’. She was discussing her own experience and how she can resonate with this specific quote.
“Her opinion on if you want something enough you can work hard to achieve it is how she keeps determined with her own work to achieve more in her own life. Molly is not commenting on anyone else’s life or personal situation. She can only speak of her own experience.”
Hague’s representatives said the reality star acknowledges that “everyone is raised in different ways and from different backgrounds” but her comments were referring to "timing, hard work and determination in her own life”.
The statement continued: “Social media users have shared a short snippet from this interview with words such as ‘if you are homeless buy a house’ and ‘if you are poor be poor’.
“These are absolutely not Molly’s words, these are not Molly’s thoughts and this isn’t at all the meaning or thought behind that conversation.”
Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett has also spoken out following the controversy about Hague’s comments on his podcast.
He said on Twitter that the star - who found fame when she went on Love Island in 2019 and coupled up with boxer Tommy Fury - faced a “double standard”.
“Molly Mae did an interview on my podcast, yesterday a soundbite from that interview went viral, she trended No1 on Twitter, every newspaper covered it and MPs weighed in,” he tweeted.
“I’ve had male guests say what she said. No one cared. But when Molly says it, she’s crucified? Crazy."
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He said in a second tweet: “I’ve become very aware of the double standard that successful women face. If I interview a man, he can brag about money, take full credit for his success and talk about his cars?
Molly Mae did an interview on my podcast, yesterday a soundbite from that interview went viral, she trended No.1 on Twitter, every newspaper covered it and MP's weighed in.
I've had male guests say what she said.
No one cared.
But when Molly says it, she's crucified? Crazy.— Steven Bartlett (@SteveBartlettSC) January 7, 2022
“If I interview a successful women, she’s got to tip toe around her success and watch her words?"
Bartlett said putting gender issues aside, the standard Hague is held to as a 22 year-old who is figuring out the world is "outrageous".
He added: “She once said she didn't like Italian food, it trended No 1 all day, was written about in every newspaper and she had to issue a public apology. 22.”
Additional reporting by PA.
Watch: Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague criticised for comments on wealth and privilege
