Molly Mae: How She Became Creative Director Of PLT At 22 | 110

1. 0:00 – 4:01

   Intro

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague0:00

      I'm the creative director of Pretty Little Thing. Like, I'm not just an influencer anymore. This is just the start for me. I'm only 22. Look, I've got so much more to learn. We literally only are given one life. We have to just go to the extremes. I've worked my absolute arse off to get where I am now. A lot of people don't believe that, but I work, I spend time with my boyfriend, and I go to bed. That is literally my life. I can't have anybody knowing where I live. I actually have close protection security now, and really, there's no price on feeling safe. That was like a really, really low moment for me. When we got back, it just felt cold and eerie, and it just didn't feel like home anymore. He can literally go away for weeks on end and there's not a doubt in my mind that if he was to be around a- a load of girls, I could sleep peacefully at night knowing that he's just, he's for me and I'm for him, and that is literally the key. You've got trust, you've got everything. There's so much more to it than people see. They have no idea what really goes on. I mean, I would never say like I've had like a mental breakdown, but that was close to it because I just went crazy.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett1:01

      Molly-Mae, she is, in my opinion, and according to a lot of the data, the UK's number one Instagram influencer creator right now. She started out many years ago on a show called Love Island, but many people have been on Love Island, and nobody ever has had the meteoric rise in their brand, their career, their profile, like Molly has. So as much as it's easy to say, "Well, okay, you know, she had a boost from Love Island," that does not explain what's happened in her life subsequently. So I wanted to sit down with her today and find out exactly what's driving her, what's caused this meteoric success. Almost 10 million followers in no time at all, 25,000 new followers a day. Just imagine for a second being thrust to the number one spot in terms of influence and having tens of millions of followers online, becoming a multimillionaire overnight, and being 22 years old. Imagine. Imagine the mistakes you would make. It's absolutely fascinating. And the way she deals with it, I think you'll find incredibly inspiring. And what comes with that success? Recently, her house was burgled and she reportedly lost 800,000 pounds worth of her possessions and had to move immediately to a new home. She now has to have 24/7 close protection security. And I'll be honest with you, this is something Molly and her manager and team shared with me before we started recording. Molly doesn't do interviews like this, so this really is, in many respects, her first real in-depth interview of this kind, and I can't wait for you to hear it. So without further ado, I'm Steven Bartlett, and this is the Diary of a CEO. I hope nobody's listening, but if you are, then please keep this to yourself. Hitchin, that's where you were... You grew up, right?

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague3:09

      Mm-hmm.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett3:10

      Take me back to Hitchin. What was life like when you were growing up there?

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague3:14

      Hitchin, I, I actually still am extremely fond of Hitchin, and it was a really- it's a really, really special place for me. I spent 18 years there, growing up in a very normal house, with a very normal family, doing very normal things, in a very normal school. Not private school or anything, but it was just a- an extremely normal, um, yeah, area to live in. I loved it and, um, I got my first job there. I, I've had a lot of firsts there and, um, I think it'll always hold a special place in my heart. I was a lifeguard there at a swimming pool for four years. Um, I had a job in a hairdresser's. I worked in a gym. It was all going on in Hitchin. That's where it all, all began, obviously. So yeah.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett3:52

      Family dynamics, brothers and sisters, mum and dad? Tell me about your, your family, what they do, who they are, what their characters are.

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague3:57

      So I have one sister. She's actually in the army. She's

2. 4:01 – 12:39

   Your early years

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:01

      three years older than me. People are always shocked when I say I have a sister that's in the army 'cause obviously (laughs) -

   2. SBSteven Bartlett4:06

      (laughs)

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:06

      ... it's so, so different to what I do. Um, but I'm actually really proud of that. I think it's, it's, um... I never really say that, but I'm super proud that she, she is who she is and we've grown up to be such, such different people. But both parents were in the police, so that was interesting growing up. Something else that I'm really proud of, actually, having two parents that are police officers, because I don't know (laughs) , I quite liked it at school, like sort of being known as the police officer's kid.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett4:30

      (laughs)

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:30

      Like I, I kinda liked it. No one really messed with me (laughs) .

   6. SBSteven Bartlett4:32

      (laughs) Go on.

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:33

      It was quite... Yeah, like even at parties, like, I think even a couple of times, my dad actually... Well, no, I remember one time my dad actually showed up to shut a party down that I was at. Um, yeah (laughs) .

   8. SBSteven Bartlett4:41

      Oh, wow.

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:42

      Yeah. It was, um, that kinda thing, having, um, parents as police officers, but I didn't mind it.

   10. SBSteven Bartlett4:47

       And at that age, when you're in Hitchin, what is it that you, you wanna be when you grow up?

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague4:51

       Oh, God. I mean (sighs) , I- I always wanted to be doing something different. I mean, I went to fashion school, um, for two years because I really wanted to pursue a career in fashion. Um, all my friends sort of stayed on and, and went to sixth form and college, but I, again, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something outside the box. So I had an interview at the Fashion Retail Academy in London and I got a, got a spot there and I ended up going there for two years and studying there. I was commuting to London every day at like 17. Um, so yeah, it was outside my comfort zone, but I'm, I'm really glad I did that 'cause it was just different. I love doing things that are different.

   12. SBSteven Bartlett5:27

       And did you, did you have a... 'Cause when I was younger, I wanted to be a dentist, and then a doctor-

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague5:32

       Mm-hmm. Yeah.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett5:32

       ... and then a surgeon at one point, and then, you know, I bounced around. And then I was like, "I wanna manage a business."

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague5:36

       Yeah.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett5:37

       What- what were you saying to yourself i- in terms of what you would be when you were older? Were you... Did you have... Was it fashion something or-

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague5:42

       Um, I think, well, when I was younger it was mainly performing arts. I've definitely got that performing arts streak in me. I think a lot of people that sort of fall into being in the public eye do have a bit of like that performing arts streak in them because they have that confidence, but I couldn't quite make it in that. I tried auditions, I tried, you know, castings, all this, but I didn't quite have that, um-I wasn't quite there, and I sort of accepted that very quickly and realized, to do well in performing arts, you have to be the best. It's like the most cutthroat industry. People say fashion's cutthroat. No, performing arts is like, it's not an industry you mess around in. So I accepted quite quickly that that wasn't gonna work for me, so fashion was, was where I focused on. And I really did think that I was gonna end up being like a fashion buyer for like a large business or ... Like, that's- that's kind of what I wanted to do.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett6:24

       Your- your mum and dad lived very, um, as police officers, very, uh, solid-

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague6:30

       Yeah.

   20. SBSteven Bartlett6:31

       ... uh, (laughs) lives and careers, right?

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague6:33

       Yeah.

   22. SBSteven Bartlett6:34

       Um, did you, at that young age, did you ... 'Cause I'm trying to understand from like a very young- young age, and I always ask this about myself, like, how much of it was this kind of in- innate desire to have more and be different-

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague6:46

       Mm-hmm.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett6:46

       ... and not live the standard life-

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague6:47

       Yeah.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett6:48

       ... um, or how much of it is just, you know, following- following the heart and seeing- seeing where it goes?

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague6:53

       I think, for me, watching my parents have a very ordinary life, it- it sort of petrified me a bit. It was like a bit terrifying, this thought of, "I don't wanna grow up in this house and- and when I- I'm old in my rocking chair, like tell my grandkids, you know, like, 'I had this really ordinary life, and I had an ordinary job, I had an ordinary income.'" Like, that ... It petrified me from I think around a ... I reckon I started feeling that way from about 15. I realized like, the world is literally our oyster, and we can do whatever we want with the 24 hours in the day that we're given, so why the hell am I not gonna go out and like make the most of them and do crazy things and make the mo- like, as I said, make the most of it? So yeah, I think my parents having this very ordinary job ... Like, I mean, police officer, it's not necessarily that ordinary (laughs) , but for me, it was like, it just terrified me. I was like, "I don't wanna have this life in Hitchin forever." It's ... I know that there's so much more to achieve. And I moved to Manchester, um, when I was 18 and started my life there. I just moved out. I literally said to my mum one day, I walked down into the living room, I'll never forget it, and I said, "I found this flat on Rightmove, and I'm moving to Manchester." And she was like, "No, you're not." I was like, "No, no, I'm going." She was like, "You don't have enough money." I was like, "I'll find it. Like, I'll make this work." And I literally went within a week, and I was gone. I packed all my stuff up, and I just left, and I moved to Manchester. And I remember the first night in my apartment (laughs) in Manchester in Ancoats, I was like, "What have I done?" I was like, "This was the worst move." I felt so homesick. It was horrendous. But then I settled in, and it was the best thing I ever did, looking back on it now. It was-

   28. SBSteven Bartlett8:20

       Um, were you moving for a job or you were moving just because you were sick of Hitchin?

   29. MHMolly-Mae Hague8:22

       I sort of, um ... At that point, I sort of missed that part. I sort of started to grow following on Instagram.

   30. SBSteven Bartlett8:27

       Mm-hmm.
3. 12:39 – 18:28

   How do you balance your time?

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague12:39

      and, like, such, um, understanding behind it. Like, I'm never taking on work that I don't understand or posting things on my socials that I'm not 100% behind or using. Like, I think that is the key to being successful in- in this industry, in influencing, if you wanna call it. Like, it's- it's knowing what you're doing and knowing what you're talking about is- is gospel. Like, you- you use those products, you- you stand behind what you're saying. Like, I think that is why I've- I have done well in what I- in what I do, because I am so believing in what I say, and my- my followers know that. Like, they- they know that I'm not talking about something on my YouTube unless I use it, unless I- I believe in it, and that is the key to being successful in this. You have to have the trust of your audience. So what work we take on is- is honestly 1% of what comes in. Less, probably.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett13:25

      Hmm.

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague13:25

      Fran gets l- I'm not even joking, 800 emails a day-

   4. SBSteven Bartlett13:27

      Hmm.

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague13:27

      ... for work coming in. It's ... It never stops. She's fr- on her emails from five hundr- from 5:00 AM, um, going through work that comes in, and it's ... You have to turn down so much to- to ear- to earn that respect from your audience and earn that trust.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett13:41

      And between you and your manager, Fran, do you then have to kind of initially agree w- where you wanna go with your career, what your values are, what aligns with you?

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague13:50

      Yeah.

   8. SBSteven Bartlett13:50

      And that kinda becomes the filter of these 800 messages a day.

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague13:53

      Yeah.

   10. SBSteven Bartlett13:53

       Is that the ... And how, what-

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague13:53

       Well, we- we set goals. We- we have like ... Fran and I have, like, this sort of regular meeting every like six months or so, and we- we sit down and we- we make a list of what I wanna achieve, and it used to be ... Well, at the start we were like gonna do it every year, but I'm- I am achieving them rapidly now, so we're doing it like every few months, and creating new goals and setting new- new targets of like, "Okay, I wanna work with this brand." So if they've not reached to me, Fran will reach out, and lo and behold, it normally happens. We're ... We're a really, really great team, and I think having a manager that understands what ... Your direction and what you wanna do is utterly key, 'cause (sighs) , you know, it's- it's just so important. Like, you can't do it alone, it's impossible. Like, okay, it's not impossible, but it's ... I couldn't do it alone, no way.

   12. SBSteven Bartlett14:35

       Mm-hmm.

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague14:35

       So, um, having a manager that really, really understands where you wanna go is just so, so, so important, I think.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett14:40

       And there's a ... There's a pretty remarkable long-termism to your mindset that I- I garnered from watching some of the videos that you'd made.

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague14:49

       Mm-hmm.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett14:49

       One in particular was the video where, you know, a brand has come along and offered you two million quid-

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague14:53

       Mm-hmm.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett14:54

       ... to like be the face of their brand or do-

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague14:56

       Yeah.

   20. SBSteven Bartlett14:56

       ... a partnership with them.

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague14:57

       Yeah.

   22. SBSteven Bartlett14:57

       And Fran has presented you with that opportunity-

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague15:00

       Yeah.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett15:00

       ... and you said, "No, I don't wanna do that."

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague15:02

       Yeah.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett15:03

       Two million quid, Molly.

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague15:04

       Yeah, I know, I said no. (laughs)

   28. SBSteven Bartlett15:05

       Buy all of my dresses for two million quid. If that brand is still looking for a- a face ... (laughs)

   29. MHMolly-Mae Hague15:10

       Oh, my God, that's ... No.

   30. SBSteven Bartlett15:10

       So why- why did you say ... What?
4. 18:28 – 25:19

   Love Island & wanting more

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague18:28

      actually a side of me that thought, "I can actually do this without going on this show." Like, I know I'll be fine either way. My following, my following was growing rapidly. Like, I think I was about 170,000 followers at that point, and that was all organic growth. There was no TV shows or anything, and I hadn't had any friends with large followings that sort of posted me. It was all very natural growth. So I knew I'd, I'd say now that if I hadn't gone on the show, I'd probably be ... I'd like to think I'd be hitting a million followers, um, 'cause I had that really good work ethic with my Instagram. But the show just sort of, it just elevated me. And then I think one thing I always say is that when you come off that show, you're all on a level playing field and it's totally up to you where you go with it, and I just knew that I wanted to go, uh, just to levels that no one had ever gone to. And that's why I never really speak about it, because I just feel like I don't owe ... Uh, it, that's not the reason why I am where I am now. Yeah, it gave me a platform, yeah, it elevated me, but the things I've done now are not because of Love Island. They're because of me and what I've decided to do and my work ethic.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett19:24

      So I want to drill down on that point then. So you're completely right. Um, Love Island is a platform, but the, it's super, super clear that if you look at the outcome of everybody that's been on that platform-

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:35

      Mm-hmm.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett19:36

      ... the results are wildly varying.

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:38

      Mm-hmm.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett19:38

      And, um, you're, you've, you, you know, you're part of that platform.

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:42

      Yeah.

   8. SBSteven Bartlett19:43

      But what's happened to you subsequently after you've been on that show-

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:47

      Yeah.

   10. SBSteven Bartlett19:47

       ... is, um, unprecedented.

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:50

       Yeah.

   12. SBSteven Bartlett19:50

       There's not been another example of someone who has risen so high following being involved in that platform.

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague19:56

       Yeah.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett19:56

       So what is it about you and, you know, your character, your, you know, whatever it might be, I don't want to put the answer in your mouth.

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague20:03

       Yeah.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett20:03

       What is it about you that's m- that's caused that?

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague20:08

       So many different things. But I think I knew the minute I came off that show that I just wanted to do crazy things. And one thing for me is that when I reach one goal, it's, "What can I achieve next?" It's never enough for me, and I think that's a bit of a downside to my personality, because when I achieve something incredible, I, I just want more. I always want more. Like, I remember, I was speaking to Fran about this. I was like, I remember when my goal was I really wanna get a million pounds in my bank account. That's all I wanted to do. I was like, "That is my goal." And then the mi- rene- minute I reached it, I was like, "Well, I want two now. I want two million." And it's like I never am happy with where I'm at. I'm constantly working towards the next thing. But I think you need that, you need that work ethic. You need that desire to always want more. It's never enough for me. Even when I got my biggest dream collabs, and it's just, "What can I get next?" Fran's sick of it as well. She's like, "It's enough now. (laughs) Come on." (laughs)

   18. SBSteven Bartlett20:59

       Yeah. You know, and when, when someone hears that, they might think, "Well, how do, how do you, how do you be happy and satisfied and content-"

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:06

       Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

   20. SBSteven Bartlett21:07

       "... whilst always striving to have-"

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:09

       Yeah.

   22. SBSteven Bartlett21:09

       "... more and more and more?" And once you get to that mountaintop, or what you thought was the mountaintop, they call it like a fal- false peak in climbing, where you get to that-

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:16

       Yeah.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett21:16

       ... that bit, and then you look up and there's more to go.

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:18

       Yeah.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett21:18

       And you keep ... And, so how do you find the happiness amongst and am- amidst the climb?

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:23

       Yeah. I'm working on that, I think. 'Cause even recently, like, we moved in, into a new place. We moved into this new house, and I've realized I've actually got a bit of a problem with it, because I was like, "This house is literally a dream." It's a dream, but it's not enough for me. Because I still want more. Like, I still want a bigger house, I still want bigger things. And it's like, I need to work on that, because you do need to find that happiness. Because, you know, 16, 17-year-old me is screaming at the things I'm doing right now, and I'm still like, "It's not enough." (laughs) You know?

   28. SBSteven Bartlett21:50

       Yeah.

   29. MHMolly-Mae Hague21:50

       But I think that's why I, I'm doing the things I'm doing and I am achieving great things, because it's, I'm never sort of like, "Okay, yeah, there, I'm happy this week. I'll just sit down and, and this is fine." No, it's like, "What are we doing next week?" It's, it's always more.

   30. SBSteven Bartlett22:05

       Why do you think you want more?
5. 25:19 – 29:12

   Your social life

   1. SBSteven Bartlett25:19

      want more friends?

   2. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:20

      No.

   3. SBSteven Bartlett25:20

      Yeah?

   4. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:21

      N- No. It's, it's time-consuming. Like, trying to p- make people happy, like ... I've lost a lot of friends, but since coming off Love Island, because I don't have the time and I... And in the end I just said, "Do you know what? Look, like, I'd rather focus on the things that are actually gonna elevate me." And, and it sounds savage, but sometimes friends, they just-

   5. SBSteven Bartlett25:39

      Mm-hmm.

   6. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:39

      Not cling on, but they, they don't add much.

   7. SBSteven Bartlett25:42

      Add value.

   8. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:42

      Yeah. I know it sounds a bit savage, but ...

   9. SBSteven Bartlett25:45

      No, it's true, and especially w- when you evolve as a person, you kind of sometimes, I think, you lose the thing that made you resonate with certain people-

   10. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:51

       Yeah.

   11. SBSteven Bartlett25:52

       ... and you c- you can't relate to them and stuff.

   12. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:53

       Oh, 100%.

   13. SBSteven Bartlett25:53

       And-

   14. MHMolly-Mae Hague25:54

       Well, I'm not that girl from Hitchin anymore. I'm al- you know, like, I'm not that young girl that was a lifeguard at Hitchin swimming pool. Like, that's not me. I, I, I've, I'm living a completely diff- in a different world now, and a lot of my friends can't relate to that. And even though I'm still the same person, my life and my circumstances, they're just so different that you do just naturally ... Y- just, people just fall off, don't they? But I've f- friends have never ... I've never needed lots of friends.

   15. SBSteven Bartlett26:16

       Mm-hmm.

   16. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:16

       It's just something that I've never really needed, and people pick up on, pick up that about me really quickly. They just, they like, "God, your circle's so small."

   17. SBSteven Bartlett26:23

       Mm-hmm.

   18. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:23

       I'm a bit of a loner, but I like it.

   19. SBSteven Bartlett26:25

       I, I, d'you know, I asked that question in part because every successful person I've sat here with doesn't have a lot of friends.

   20. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:31

       No.

   21. SBSteven Bartlett26:32

       And, you know. I was actually having a conversation with one of the previous guests on this podcast, and she's got two-and-a-half million followers on Instagram, and she was telling me last night that she has one friend, it's her boyfriend.

   22. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:42

       Yeah. (laughs)

   23. SBSteven Bartlett26:42

       And she-

   24. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:43

       Sounds about right.

   25. SBSteven Bartlett26:43

       She's like ... I h- she literally said, "I have one friend and it's my boyfriend."

   26. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:46

       Yeah.

   27. SBSteven Bartlett26:46

       And-

   28. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:46

       That sounds a v- that sounds about right for me, but-

   29. SBSteven Bartlett26:48

       And it's sometimes it's weird, 'cause when I ask people this question, it feels really uncomfortable.

   30. MHMolly-Mae Hague26:52

       Yeah. When you first said it, I was like, "Oh, God. No, I don't." But it's ... Yeah, it's, it's a weird one because you don't wanna sound like you, you don't have any friends because then people think, "Well, you're probably the problem, then."
6. 29:12 – 33:09

   What are the downsides to your success?

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague30:39

      It doesn't matter. Like, people can say what they wanna say. These people are just genuinely so unhappy in their lives that they try and bring you down, and it's so sad, but, um, you do learn to deal with it. It's just part of it, and we're really ... We've learned in terms of, like, we- we're on- always on pap watch now. And if we go away on campaigns, like, we literally have someone that s- job is specifically to look out for people taking pictures so it doesn't happen again, 'cause it was, it was quite bad, that, for me.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett31:01

      Those Daily Mail comments really are a cesspool of just vileness.

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:04

      Yeah.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett31:04

      I remember when I was announced as a dragon on Dragon's Den, and, like, I don't look at comments sections 'cause I'm just really not bothered. It's, like, not gonna add to my life. But then my family calling me and being like, "Oh, my God, those comments."

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:14

      Yeah. My mum does that to me.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett31:15

      They're, they're all racist."

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:16

      (laughs)

   8. SBSteven Bartlett31:16

      I'm like, "Don't look at them." Don't- (laughs)

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:17

      My mum, my mum does that to me. She goes, "Have you seen the comments on the Daily Mail?" I'm like, "Mum, why would you tell me that?" Like-

   10. SBSteven Bartlett31:22

       Yeah. (laughs)

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:22

       ... "don't look. I'm not looking-"

   12. SBSteven Bartlett31:23

       Yeah.

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:23

       "... so neither do you." I just leave it.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett31:25

       Yeah, yeah.

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:25

       But yeah. I think obviously they're just looking out for you, and they don't understand that you're probably just trying to avoid it.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett31:30

       That's a pretty remarkable way to live is, uh, you talking about, you know, being on holiday and having someone on pap watch and ...

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:35

       Mm.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett31:36

       You must always be on edge, like, to some degree.

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague31:39

       Yeah, you are. You are always on the edge, and it's- it's a weird way to live, but it's become normal now. It's been two and a half years and ... That was really early on in Barbados. That was, I think, maybe three months, four months after I'd come out of the show, and that was, "Okay, this is how we need to live now. This is how we need to do things," and it's just been the same. And having an incredible team as well, to- to be protective of you is- is ... I'm really lucky for that, because I- I couldn't do it by myself. It is ... You're really vulnerable. Like, it's such a vulnerable job to have.

   20. SBSteven Bartlett32:06

       Mm.

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague32:07

       Um, and yeah. Paps posing as architect photographers, like, it's just y- ... There's snakes everywhere. (laughs)

   22. SBSteven Bartlett32:13

       Yeah, man. Before we started recording, Fran, your manager, told me that you are a little bit of a perfectionist and that you care a lot about getting all the details right for your customers, but across your life generally.

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague32:25

       Mm.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett32:25

       So I guess my question to you is, how do you do that? How do you, dare I say, worry about details and also still maintain your peace of mind?

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague32:35

       I mean, it's- it's compartmentalizing it, sort of. Like, I, I don't really switch off. It's almost like I just s- it's sort of built into my mind. It's a 24/7. It's always, always thinking in back of my mind how everything I'm doing is affecting my work, because that's ... I am my job at the end of the day. Like, m- I'm Molly-Mae, and Molly-Mae is what s- make- make, what makes me, my income. It's not like I go to work and I come back and I switch off. Uh, I'm 24/7 on my phone.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett33:02

       Yeah.

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:02

       So everything I'm doing, everything I'm saying, one story post that takes two seconds to post, everything I do affects

7. 33:09 – 36:59

   How do you switch off?

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:09

      how I make money, how my audience perceives me. So it's ... I just think ... I've just thought of, like ... I don't know. It becomes one. My life is just, is ...

   2. SBSteven Bartlett33:19

      It sounds chaotic, right? And it, it also sounds like ... I find it pretty remarkable based on people I've spoken to that live in a similar way, that are very neurotic and that are always on and always thinking, and then-

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:29

      Yeah.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett33:29

      ... are in the middle of their, like, social media instant feedback bubble.

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:33

      Yeah.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett33:33

      How do you avoid being anxious in that s- in that, within that cauldron?

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:38

      You- you really just have to sort of accept that Instagram is Instagram, and there's always gonna be that one person on Instagram that- that doesn't like what you're doing. I've got 6.2 million followers. It is impossible to please everybody, so I've really had to understand that, you know, everything I say and everything I do, not everyone's gonna like it. No matter how much I wish they did-

   8. SBSteven Bartlett33:58

      Mm-hmm.

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague33:58

      ... because it would put my mind at rest a lot knowing that everybody loves what I'm doing, there's always gonna be that one person that- that hates what you're doing and, and hates you. So you just sort of have to ... sort of understand that Instagram is ... It's just, it's very superficial, and it's just a highlight reel. That's why I love my YouTube as well, because I feel like my YouTube is so behind the scenes. It's ... You really get that, that bigger picture. You see the bad stuff that's happening in my day. And I think ... Do you know what I think? Not to sound big-headed, but I think that is why I have a really high engagement on my Instagram, is because my followers, they, they see me on YouTube and they see that picture on Instagram and they think, "We know that she's not had, she's had a good day."

   10. SBSteven Bartlett34:39

       Mm.

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague34:39

       "We know that she's actually ..." I spoke about, a few months ago, how I wanted this really, really incredible job opportunity and I didn't get it, and I'm really transparent. Like, I'm like, "Today has been crap. I've cried today. Like, I've come on my period today. I'm feeling really rubbish today." Like, I'm- I'm really, really transparent, so I think when they see that picture on Instagram, they know, "Actually, if we wanna see a bit more of, like, her realist side here, we'll just go to her YouTube and have a look." And I love that. That is why I ... To all my influencer friends, I say, "Start YouTube. Start YouTube." If you want your engagement to grow, if you want your audience to fall in love with you, if you want people to understand you more, you have to start YouTube, because Instagram is ... It's- it's nothing.

   12. SBSteven Bartlett35:15

       Mm.

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:15

       It's a picture. I post one picture a day. What's anyone gonna learn from that picture? Nothing. YouTube is where it's at. That's where they learn. That's where they engage with you and understand you and believe in you.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett35:25

       And that's the depth, right?

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:26

       Yeah.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett35:26

       If you don't ... Yeah.

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:27

       It's so important. Like, I do YouTube because I love it. I've, I still edit all my own content.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett35:31

       Really?

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:32

       I still ... Yeah. I l- I'm really-

   20. SBSteven Bartlett35:34

       Wow.

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:34

       I love it. I actually find it, um, therapeutic, editing my videos. And I love, um, when I finish editing a video and I upload it, I love that sense of, "I just created that."

   22. SBSteven Bartlett35:44

       Mm-hmm.

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague35:44

       And it's bigger than just editing an Instagram picture and putting it through ColorTone and putting a filter on it. It's you've spent time developing that video, and you've created it, and millions of people are gonna go and watch that and spend their 20 minutes of their day watching that video that you've created. And I love that feeling. That's really special. And I've had so many video editors, editors say, like, "Oh, I'd do it," and, "I would never give that job to someone else."

   24. SBSteven Bartlett36:04

       One of the things I find really fascinating, and it's linked to what you said there about being very honest and open with your audience-

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague36:09

       Mm-hmm.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett36:09

       But at the same time, again, if we're talking about things that feel like they don't marry together or they feel like contradictions is y- as you rise and rise and rise, and as you experience more, like, material success and you can buy nicer things, do you become less relatable to your audience? And is this a, is this something you think about? Because the girl at, you know, that is 16 right now living in Hitchens looking up at you, and you're getting, uh, you're getting apparently further and further away from being, you know ...

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague36:36

       That's such an interesting question. Even when you were saying that, then I was like, "That's, sort of, a really valid point." And I actually ... Don't get me wrong. I'll be honest. I do see comments on my Instagram saying, like, you know, "Can you do, like, a more high street haul this week? Can you talk about more high street clothes?" Because, don't forget, in that six million followers, there's such a wide-... variety of people. There's that 45-year-old mum

8. 36:59 – 43:33

   How do you stay relatable?

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague36:59

      that's, you know, living on food stamps that's, you know, and she's got no money and she wants to see me post really normal things. But then I've got probably another girl that's following me, an 18-year-old girl that Dad funds their life and they want to see the glamor- it's, there's, it's such a, it's impossible to- Hmm. ... to sort of cater for everyone. I try. Hmm. And as I sort of, as you, as you say, as I sort of, my life is changing so much, I still try and stay as relatable as possible. And, and I do. I at, I would say that I am still- Hmm. ... extremely relatable, and again, that's my YouTube. I post, yeah, all these incredible things that I buy on my Instagram, and I've sort of stopped doing that now, but I, I- Why? (laughs) Well... Oh, because of your family? Yeah. Fine. Yeah. But, um, I, I sort of, that's again, my YouTube is I'm s- I'm, there's, in a vlog I might be saying, "Oh, I've just bought this brand new watch, it's amazing, it's cost X amount and I'm having a really great day." But then I also might say, "Ugh, you know, me and Tommy just had a huge argument and I've walked out the house." I, there's, it's, in a vlog, I try and keep that balance- Hmm. ... as much as possible so I can sort of- Hmm. Not because I cater for everyone, it's just because I, I am that way. Yeah.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett38:01

      Agreed, yeah.

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:01

      Life is like that way, you know? When you're being honest. Yeah. One minute something's really great, the next moment something's really shit, and that's just the way it is.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett38:07

      And I guess there's, there's two forces there, really, because I think if I was, um, well, not even, but if I was following you, it'd be for two reasons, right? For me, on one hand, it's aspiration. It's, "Oh my God, look at this amazing thing, all these amazing things she's achieved, and I really aspire to be there one day." But then obviously the relatability comes from the fact that you're talking about how bad your period pains are-

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:29

      Hmm.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett38:29

      ... and this problem with your boyfriend. And those are things we can all relate to.

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:31

      Yeah.

   8. SBSteven Bartlett38:31

      And then on the other hand, there's all these wonderful things that we can all aspire to.

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:35

      Yes.

   10. SBSteven Bartlett38:35

       And I think at th- I think at the end of the day, it's, it's interesting with social media because a lot of people in your position wouldn't share the aspirational things because they'll care too much about what people might say.

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:45

       Yeah.

   12. SBSteven Bartlett38:46

       Right?

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:46

       I would actually say the opposite. I would say I think a lot of people share the aspirational things but they don't share the low moments.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett38:52

       That's true. That's true.

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague38:52

       When I, when I'm watching people's YouTubes, I'm seeing so many girls being like, "My life is just so amazing and I do these amazing things and I'm a vegan and I eat clean and I go to the gym," and they don't talk about the low moments, and they wonder why their audience isn't engaged.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett39:06

       Hmm.

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague39:06

       You have to be honest and you have to include those things that maybe you don't really want to include it, but your audience will appreciate that, because that girl is probably also having a crappy day that's watching it, so she wants to see you also having a crappy day so she knows it's okay.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett39:18

       Hmm.

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague39:19

       And that's where I think some influencers and some YouTubers they, they fall down because they don't, they're not 100% honest-

   20. SBSteven Bartlett39:25

       Mm-hmm.

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague39:25

       ... whereas I really, really am and I stand by that. Um, so yeah.

   22. SBSteven Bartlett39:28

       I- if you buy something really expensive, though, let's say you buy something really, really expensive. When you go to post it, is there an e- is there a feeling of like concern about it might make some people feel, you know, that struggling might make them feel bad or ina- inadequate in a way?

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague39:44

       Yeah. I mean, it's tricky, isn't it? It's, it's hard to know what you're gonna, what you post, how it's gonna affect people. Like you might think that posting one thing will have no effect on somebody, but actually it could be all that person thinks about that day, and it's kind of scary. It's a massive responsibility because I have super young followers as well, and I've got to be careful, you know, I've been on a bit of like a health journey recently, I've got to be so careful talking about weight loss and what I'm eating because you don't know what you're saying. It's so impressionable.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett40:12

       Yeah.

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague40:12

       And these young girls, they're so, again, vulnerable and I know when I was watching girls' Instagram stories, I mean, I'm sure I'll talk to you about filler in a bit, but I, Instagram was the reason I ended up getting all that filler because I was watching these girls' stories thinking, "They have filler, so I need to go and get filler." So if I'm posting about, you know, a health journey and I've lost a few pounds, I feel great, well then young girls are gonna y- go and think, "Well, I need to go lose a few pounds if Molly-Mae's done it." So everything you're saying, it has to be so clearly thought about because it's, you have no idea how that one tiny story is going to affect that person's day with everything.

   26. SBSteven Bartlett40:45

       Isn't there a lot of things though where you just can't, you can't, there's no way to get it right?

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague40:49

       There's, you can't control it. No, you can't get it right all the time.

   28. SBSteven Bartlett40:52

       I feel like there must be so many things where if you post it, you're gonna get back 'cause it's, I, I experience it a little bit. People, it's funny with, with, um, with me. I, I t- and I've learned this again from my guests that I've sat here with. I can get away for some reason with a bi- with a lot more-

   29. MHMolly-Mae Hague41:05

       Yeah.

   30. SBSteven Bartlett41:05

       ... than they can. So I can post something and I'll typically get like pretty much 100% pos- like, a good example actually was when, um, I'd been in the gym a lot and I'm saying to Grace, who's in my content team, I'm like, "I'm gonna post a topless photo and set like, show my gym transformation before and after." And Grace raises it to me that like a lot of influencers who do that get s- like slammed for, you know, what, what you're saying, you're saying six pack is healthy.
9. 43:33 – 46:53

   Are you happy with all of this?

   1. MHMolly-Mae Hague43:33

      be happy? Like 17-year-old me creeps back up things. I'm thinking like, "God, sh- I am happy because this is all I ever wanted." And yes, every day in my mind I think, "God, I've, I have got these worries and I have got these struggles," but let's just take a step back. I am happy. Like I, I sort of have to just look at the bigger picture. I'm healthy, I have my health, my family's well, I have an incredible manager, I have an incredible boyfriend, I live in a beautiful house, I'm safe, I'm happy, like I am ... Yeah, I've got all these, these worries about, "When am I next gonna have a scandal? When am I, when am I next gonna say the wrong thing?" And it, but in the bigger picture, like 17-year-old me again could only dream of this shit, and I'm living it.

   2. SBSteven Bartlett44:15

      Mm-hmm.

   3. MHMolly-Mae Hague44:15

      So that's h- how I look at it.

   4. SBSteven Bartlett44:17

      And that gratitude, you know, clearly so important to be-

   5. MHMolly-Mae Hague44:21

      Yeah.

   6. SBSteven Bartlett44:21

      ... centered and grounded amongst all of this chaos, right?

   7. MHMolly-Mae Hague44:23

      Yes. Yeah, 100%. I, I am very grounded and I think that's one thing that I'm proud of is that everyone that knows me from my life prior to Love Island, they've, they've all said I've never changed, I've always stayed the same. Yeah, my life and my circumstances have changed, but m- me, myself, I've, I'm a d- the same person and I, and I know I am. I've never become bougie. (laughs) I've never become like ... I've, I'm never ... You know, I just, I couldn't. It's not me. I am that s- I am still that girl from Hertfordshire, but just with a very different life now.

   8. SBSteven Bartlett44:54

      Mm-hmm.

   9. MHMolly-Mae Hague44:54

      But I've never changed. Even in, since I've met Fran, in that two and a half years, I'm still the same person that she met on that day when I came out of Love Island. So yeah, I stand by that and I'm proud that I've stayed the same. (page flips) What are these drinks here?

   10. SBSteven Bartlett45:07

       (laughs) So this is Huel. They're the, they're the, they're, um ... It's basically nutritionally complete food. So it's, um ... It's the fastest growing e-commerce company in the country.

   11. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:16

       Oh, is it?

   12. SBSteven Bartlett45:16

       Yeah.

   13. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:17

       Wow.

   14. SBSteven Bartlett45:17

       Online and internationally. It's basically like, it's like your m- your perfect meal in a drink. So 20 f- you know, all your proteins, all your vitamins, all your minerals.

   15. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:26

       Oh, okay.

   16. SBSteven Bartlett45:26

       Vegan, gluten-free. And if you're ever on the ... I'm sure you are 'cause you're super busy. If you're ever on the go and you're like skipping meals and stuff-

   17. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:33

       Yeah.

   18. SBSteven Bartlett45:33

       ... you have one of these, fills you, and makes sure that you get all, everything you need.

   19. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:36

       Amazing.

   20. SBSteven Bartlett45:37

       So I think as the world has got busier, Huel has got more popular, you know? But anyway.

   21. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:43

       All right. I'll-

   22. SBSteven Bartlett45:43

       Um-

   23. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:43

       ... try a Huel.

   24. SBSteven Bartlett45:44

       Yeah. We'll give you a-

   25. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:45

       Thank you. (laughs)

   26. SBSteven Bartlett45:45

       ... we'll give you a couple. They actually send you a big package after this. They always do. So-

   27. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:48

       Oh, okay.

   28. SBSteven Bartlett45:49

       Um, not that anyone knows where you live now. (laughs)

   29. MHMolly-Mae Hague45:51

       (laughs)

   30. SBSteven Bartlett45:51

       We'll just make things up. We'll talk to ... Yeah. (laughs)
10. 46:53 – 55:18

    The decision to remove the filler from your face

    1. MHMolly-Mae Hague46:53

       terrifying and so scary that these things are spoken about on social media. Like these, these, um, aesthetic pages, they're posting all these packages you can get with filler and it's, it became really normal. So I just, I went one day and I just got it, and it was like nothing. And I didn't tell my mom. I just kept it from everyone. No one even really noticed. But I think on social media, as I said before, I was seeing all these girls, um, with filler and with all these things done to their face, their faces, so I thought, "Well, if I wanna be successful in that industry, if I wanna be an influencer and I wanna have a large following, I'm gonna have to get that too. Like I'm gonna need to do that to my face. I need jaw filler and cheek filler and lip filler and Botox to look the way these girls do." Um, when actually what I've, what I realize now is they're all just editing.

    2. SBSteven Bartlett47:34

       Mm-hmm. (laughs)

    3. MHMolly-Mae Hague47:34

       None of them look like that anyway. (laughs) But, um, it's scary because it ... I, I wouldn't say I got addicted to it, but, uh, by the age of 21, I didn't look like the same person. I literally looked like a different person. It was te- When I look back at pictures now, I'm, I'm terrified of myself. I'm like, "Who was that girl? I don't know what happened." And it was actually only until my sister said to me, she was like, "We need to sort this out." It was like took her to tell me. I was at, um, a PA in, in a club. I don't remember where I was, and she texted me and she was like, "I need to talk to you about the filler. Like it's too much now. Like it's, it's, it's enough. You need to stop." And then I actually sort of ... I, I remember going on my front camera and I was looking. I was like, "What's she talking about?" And I actually realized, I was like, "I don't ... It's not nice, this." It's, uh, my face, I literally ... Everyone used to call me Quagmire. I don't even know what Quagmire is. I think it's like a cartoon character.

    4. SBSteven Bartlett48:22

       I don't know.

    5. MHMolly-Mae Hague48:23

       Oh, okay. Well, people would either say-

    6. SBSteven Bartlett48:24

       We'll put Quagmire on the screen. (laughs)

    7. MHMolly-Mae Hague48:25

       Yeah. Quagmire.

    8. SBSteven Bartlett48:26

       (laughs)

    9. MHMolly-Mae Hague48:26

       People used to say, "Quagmire," or they said I, I looked like an Xbox controller, like my face was that warped. Like, ah, I got all ki- called all kinds of things. Um, but there was this one pivotal moment where I'd gone and I'd got loads of filler and I posted a YouTube video. Um, and I hadn't let the filler sort of settle and it was really swollen, and a picture from, uh, so a screenshot from that video, it trended on Twitter for, for weeks. It was horrendous. It was utterly horrendous. It was like ... You can insert the picture. We'll send it to you. It was ... My face was literally like ... It was just awful. And it, it was ... That was a moment for me as well where I was like-I think, I think things need to change. I, I thought one day I'm actually, I'm gonna get my lips dissolved, and it, and it, it was a process. I went and got my lips dissolved, and I posted about it on YouTube, and I didn't expect the response that I got. It was huge. And a lot of girls were tweeting saying it made me laugh, and was like, "Mollie May getting lip filler does not mean that we all have," uh," getting her lip filler dissolved," sorry, "does not mean that we all have to go and do the same." 'Cause obviously they all love their lip filler, which I think is great, like some girls absolutely love it, and by me getting my filler dissolved did not mean that I, um, don't agree with filler. I got it at one point, and, like, I- I obviously loved it.

    10. SBSteven Bartlett49:34

        Hmm.

    11. MHMolly-Mae Hague49:34

        And some girls, it makes them feel super confident, and it did for me for a while until I took it too far.

    12. SBSteven Bartlett49:39

        Hmm.

    13. MHMolly-Mae Hague49:39

        I think it can be a great thing. It's not for me to sit here and bash it, because some girls, they do feel amazing with it, and that's, that's great. But for me, um, the, the minute I started to sort of reverse my image and dissolve the filler and dissolve my lips, and I actually had a full set of composite f- um, bonding, like veneers, on my teeth. I had them removed as well and literally took it to the extremes and I just stripped myself back. And weirdly, I felt the prettiest I'd ever felt once it had all gone, and I, and I, I felt like I'd dropped about five years off my age. And it was like, it was a really, really significant moment for me, and I, just stripping everything back, and I didn't realize how much respect that would get me. I didn't do it for respect. I did it for myself. I didn't do it for anyone else. I did it because I knew that I needed to. But from doing it, all these young girls were like, well, all these young girls' parents were emailing Fran and saying, "Thank you so much." Like, "This is so amazing for us to see. It's so different." I actually had some, a mum come up to me when I was visiting Hitchin with my mum. She came up to me in the street crying her eyes out saying that she was so grateful to me for doing what I did with my filler because she's so happy of, like, the effect it had on her children, and my mum started crying. (laughs) And it was all, like, emotions. My mum was, she, when the woman walked away, she was like, "I'm so proud of you." And I just didn't realize, like, from me doing that, the effect it would have on so many people.

    14. SBSteven Bartlett50:52

        Your manager, Fran, told me, she said, um, when you made that decision to remove the cosmetic filler and the, the bonding from your teeth, um, she was getting so many emails. She couldn't keep up with her inbox-

    15. MHMolly-Mae Hague51:02

        Yeah.

    16. SBSteven Bartlett51:02

        ... from parents saying, expressing their admiration and gratitude, because obviously previously, um, those parents and their children had been looking up to certain role models who do do a lot of editing because of, you know, because of the comparison-based world we live in.

    17. MHMolly-Mae Hague51:15

        Mm-hmm.

    18. SBSteven Bartlett51:16

        And to have a, a role model like yourself who has taken the very, very brave and, um, uh, brave is maybe not the right word, but just the very, um, important step to say that I'm gonna be a role model that doesn't, um, tamper too much with my face because of the consequences and what that might tell my audience about themselves.

    19. MHMolly-Mae Hague51:35

        Yeah.

    20. SBSteven Bartlett51:35

        When you went on your transition, when you went from being, you know, a little bit too much filler here maybe and bonded teeth and stuff like that-

    21. MHMolly-Mae Hague51:42

        Yeah.

    22. SBSteven Bartlett51:42

        ... to the au naturel Mollie that you are now, was there other moments of doubt where you looked at yourself and thought, "Do you know what? Maybe I'll nip back and-"

    23. MHMolly-Mae Hague51:51

        Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, it didn't happen overnight. I can't sit here and say, like, I suddenly just felt incredible, like it was a huge change. Like, my, I literally, I looked like a different person with all the filler in and a different person with it out. And, um, there was a moment where I'd, I'd just done the cover for Cosmopolitan magazine, and it was a really big deal to me. I was so-

    24. SBSteven Bartlett52:11

        I remember.

    25. MHMolly-Mae Hague52:11

        ... hugely happy that I'd landed the cover because, um, I, it was a dream. It's huge. I, my mum used to buy me that magazine when I was younger, and it was, it was, I couldn't believe that I was gonna be on the cover. But that was the first time I'd been pictured after I'd had all the filler removed, and I actually despised the picture so much that I just, I cried about it for days. Yeah. I, 'cause I didn't get approval of the image, and I just thought, I sort of prayed, I was like, "I really hope I like the image." And I, I absolutely hated it. And it went, it went out, and it was fine, and everyone was telling me how amazing I looked, and, and it was kinda sad that after everyone had sort of confirmed that they, they thought I looked nice, then I felt better.

    26. SBSteven Bartlett52:45

        Hmm.

    27. MHMolly-Mae Hague52:45

        That's a bit sad because I think I didn't until I've, until people started to, started to say that, and I never really thought... I was that girl. I always sort of thought, "I don't need people to tell me that I look nice." Like, uh, but I think then I did because I was really vulnerable. Like, I just had all this filler removed. No one had really seen me like that. I looked really different, I did, and I think people noticed it, but people really admired it 'cause it was different.

    28. SBSteven Bartlett53:06

        Mm-hmm.

    29. MHMolly-Mae Hague53:06

        It was new. No one had, no one had really done that yet. I, I wouldn't wanna say that I started a trend, but I do feel like I did start a bit of a trend with the sort of dissolving, and, uh, again, I'm proud of that because, yeah, I might have been a bit uneasy about it at first, but now loads of people are doing it, and I love it. It's like a m- an amazing movement.

    30. SBSteven Bartlett53:23

        And with the, with the brands that you're involved in and the businesses you run, do you now seek out models and influencers and creators that are representing that more natural look as well?
11. 55:18 – 58:33

    Impostor syndrome

    1. MHMolly-Mae Hague55:18

       about here." And I'm really, really transparent with that. Like, I try to just remember, I am 22, they didn't teach me this stuff in school. They- they really didn't. And I- I- talking about mortgages and stuff, I didn't know what a mortgage was until a few months ago, I'll be honest, 'cause when I started looking at buying a house, I was like, "So what is a mortgage?" 'Cause I didn't know. And I think, um, that's how I've sort of gotten away from that, like, imposter syndrome. I just, I, I just ask.

    2. SBSteven Bartlett55:41

       Mm-hmm.

    3. MHMolly-Mae Hague55:41

       I just ask the questions. I'm not embarrassed. And, um, I've had to learn a lot really quickly. I didn't know anything at the start of this process. I didn't know- I don't think I'd- I hadn't earned enough money to even pay a tax bill before.

    4. SBSteven Bartlett55:52

       Mm-hmm.

    5. MHMolly-Mae Hague55:52

       I didn't understand... I was making £1,000 a month before the show, so I'd never paid a tax bill, like, it- in... Like, it was- it was a lot of learning very quickly. And I've just always asked. I'm not afraid to ask. Even that's a really important thing. Don't be afraid to ask if you don't know.

    6. SBSteven Bartlett56:07

       For me, that's- it's so inspiring to hear that answer, because I've been in that exact same situation. I was in boardrooms as well when I was 22 years old-

    7. MHMolly-Mae Hague56:15

       Mm-hmm.

    8. SBSteven Bartlett56:15

       ... and you're sat there, you're think- you're looking around the room and there's people double your age, and of course it's easy to feel like, um, you're inadequate or you're an imposter in that room, but the thing that I always fell back on was this understanding that I'm in that room for a reason. There's something that I have that those men that are double my age in suits, that have gray hair, don't have, and that's my specialty. That's the reason I'm there. Um, they have things I don't have, I have things they don't have. And I think, for me, the thing that's made me feel comfortable in intimidating situations, whether it's Dragon's Den or being in boardrooms out of my depth at a very, very young age, is continually reminding myself that I am there for a reason too.

    9. MHMolly-Mae Hague56:54

       Mm-hmm.

    10. SBSteven Bartlett56:54

        And there's something that I know, there's some- in your case, you know, unbelievable creativity and understanding of the customer that has put me there. And I think what you've realized is incredibly important. You don't have to speak on things you don't know, and as a young person in these- in these very intimidating, foreign situations like the boardroom, you don't have to pretend you know everything. You can just wait and have the confidence to speak on the things that you know well, that you know better than everybody. And I just think that's so incredibly important, that when you are in intimidating situations as a young person in business or in your career, you gotta know that you're there for a reason too.

    11. MHMolly-Mae Hague57:31

        Yeah.

    12. SBSteven Bartlett57:31

        You're- you're bringing value to that room too. You don't have to speak on everything, but you are there for a reason. When I- when I read about your story, when I- I've watched you over the years and I've been close to people that you're close to, um, I could not believe for the life of me when my team told me you were 22. I, like- I was like, "Yeah, sure."

    13. MHMolly-Mae Hague57:50

        (laughs)

    14. SBSteven Bartlett57:50

        Like, Googled it myself, and I was like, "Wikipedia's wrong as well."

    15. MHMolly-Mae Hague57:52

        (laughs)

    16. SBSteven Bartlett57:53

        Like... (laughs) 'Cause it doesn't make sense, right?

    17. MHMolly-Mae Hague57:54

        Mm-hmm.

    18. SBSteven Bartlett57:54

        And it- it- th- as you say, there are so many, like, fundamental things about business and funny- money and life and finance-

    19. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:01

        Yeah.

    20. SBSteven Bartlett58:01

        ... that must just now be, like, thrown at you. And, um, and- and to be honest, they're thrown at everybody, right?

    21. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:07

        Yeah.

    22. SBSteven Bartlett58:07

        Um, especially when we, you know, when we start h- thinking about mortgages and stuff.

    23. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:10

        Mm-hmm.

    24. SBSteven Bartlett58:10

        In terms of money and finance, what are some of the lessons that you've- you've had to learn, um, or the- the advice you would give to people that are listening, to make sure that they don't s- blow all their money and get, end up in jail?

    25. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:25

        I don't think I'm the... (sighs) I'll be honest, I don't think I'm there yet myself to give advice. I'm still learning. Uh, I have, yeah,

12. 58:33 – 1:00:27

    Money and finance lessons from all of this

    1. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:33

       a- a large amount of money for someone my age, and I- I'm- I have to sort of rely on people around me to advise me with it. Like, I've just started investing, which has been a huge, interesting new chapter for me. I hadn't got a clue about investing, but I know it's really important. I knew it's a- it's a key thing and I need to do it. I didn't know where to start.

    2. SBSteven Bartlett58:49

       Mm-hmm.

    3. MHMolly-Mae Hague58:49

       So I've- I've been learning about that, which has been really interesting. But I know it is cliche and I know everyone says it, but because you don't learn these things in school, like, it- it's so daunting. And my situation is so niche in that I came into a large amount of money so quickly and it was so vulnerable. Like, I had to sort of, like, get my parents on board with it, because I just... You- you trust all these people, but it- it was so scary. I'd say it's probably the most daunting thing, really. Like, coming out in this new world of, like, I didn't have literally a pot to piss in before, and now I'm, like, dealing with these huge banks and they're like... It- it's- it's mental. It's- it's-

    4. SBSteven Bartlett59:24

       (laughs)

    5. MHMolly-Mae Hague59:24

       And I don't wanna- I wouldn't even give advice because I'm still learning, and I'm not afraid to say that.

    6. SBSteven Bartlett59:28

       Mm-hmm.

    7. MHMolly-Mae Hague59:29

       I'm learning every day with it. Um, but yeah, it's- it is daunting. It's a whole new world.

    8. SBSteven Bartlett59:34

       On the- we talked a little bit earlier about- we kind of touched on mental health. One of the things that I was really inspired by is you- well, you gave the profits from your- one of your PLT ranges to the charity Mind, the men's-

    9. MHMolly-Mae Hague59:45

       Yeah.

    10. SBSteven Bartlett59:45

        ... health charity.

    11. MHMolly-Mae Hague59:46

        Yeah.

    12. SBSteven Bartlett59:47

        Why did you do that?

    13. MHMolly-Mae Hague59:48

        Well, it was- it was shortly after Caroline Flack had passed away, um, which was obviously heartbreaking and it was a huge, huge, huge shock. Um, and myself and PLT, we'd planned this huge launch party and a big launch dinner, and- and we- I was there getting ready for it. We canceled it on the night, because we'd just found out the news and it was just, it wasn't right. It just, it didn't feel right, and the only way it would feel rightly releasing the collection is if we did donate the- the profits made to- to Mind, um, at that time. And it was just... It was a really tricky time, and I think I'm so proud to- to be a part of PLT in a way that

13. 1:00:27 – 1:09:34

    Pretty Little Thing - Creative Director role

    1. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:00:27

       they were so on board with it straight away-

    2. SBSteven Bartlett1:00:28

       Mm-hmm.

    3. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:00:28

       ... and it was totally my idea, and I went to them and I said, "This is what needs to happen." And they were like, "Yeah." It wasn't even a hesitation, it wasn't like, "No, but we need to make money back." No. They- they totally understood. Um, yeah, and I'm- I'm blessed to work with PLT so closely because they're s- they're just- they were amazing at that time.

    4. SBSteven Bartlett1:00:44

       Was that one of the things on your proverbial mood board, becoming the creative director of PLT? Did you ever dream about that? What was the... And how did that all come about?

    5. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:00:54

       Do you know? (sighs) With PrettyLittleThing, it's- it was crazy, because I knew... When I started working with them, it was like I- I had this feeling that it was gonna go bigger than I'd anticipated. We brought out these collections and brought out these edits, and it was just growing and growing, and my growth was- was going up, and-... and it just wasn't slowing down. And I've created such a close relationship with PLT, and they, they, we, we really understood each other. And it just grew past that point of being an influencer, 'cause I don't really count myself as an influencer anymore. I know I am, theoretically, but it's more than that now, and I am more of a businesswoman. And I feel like PLT, it, it was in a, it was in the works for a while. There was conversations about this role, and, um, I never really spoke about how it happened. But there was conversations about a role, creative director was mentioned, and I was like, "That's the only one I want. I don't want anything else. I don't wanna be head of any other department. Creative director is my role. And if not, then we'll just carry on doing what we're doing, or we'll see." And, um, Fran worked on it with Umar, and they spoke and they spoke, and it was about six months in, in discussion. And then Fran rang me, I was in my car, and she was like, "We've got it. You're gonna be the creative director of PrettyLittleThing." And I was, I... It was a really, like, it was a, a crazy moment. I screamed down the phone. I was like-

    6. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:09

       (laughs)

    7. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:09

       ... "Oh, my God. Like, this is wild," and I was just so excited to tell everybody. I had to wait a few months. I knew I was sitting on it for a while, and then I told everyone, and it literally blew up the internet. I didn't expect it to have, like, the effect that it did.

    8. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:22

       Mm-hmm.

    9. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:22

       But it was huge. Literally huge.

    10. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:24

        It was massive, yeah. I guess.

    11. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:26

        I don't know. It was... Yeah. I think it was just no one really expected it. I think, um, no one saw it coming. I think they probably just thought when I said I had a big announcement, they were probably like, "Oh, it's just another collection."

    12. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:35

        Mm-hmm.

    13. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:35

        "She's just bringing out a few more pieces of cloth-" No. It was when I said I had the biggest piece of, like, my biggest achievement yet, I meant it. It was my biggest achievement yet. Like, I'm not just an influencer anymore. I'm the creative director of PrettyLittleThing. Like, that hasn't still really sunken in yet for me.

    14. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:49

        And what does that mean? So, the thing that brands do very well is they, they like using, you know, influencers, creators to kind of sell, you know, "We'll do a line with you. We'll do an edit with you."

    15. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:58

        Yeah.

    16. SBSteven Bartlett1:02:58

        This is different, right?

    17. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:02:59

        Yeah. It's completely different.

    18. SBSteven Bartlett1:03:00

        Talk to me about how it's different.

    19. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:03:03

        Well, I have a huge role within the business now. I have a huge voice within the business. And I think what's so amazing is that I am the consumer. I am that, their, their target market really, that age range. I'm, I, I am that consumer. So, to have me in the business with my views, with my p- you know, with my guidance, like, it's really helpful to them. It's a fresh pair of eyes. I think they really needed that. And I, I think, um, because I know the brand so well, and I've worked with them, I worked with them way before Love Island. I've worked with PLT now for, heading on six years.

    20. SBSteven Bartlett1:03:33

        Wow.

    21. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:03:34

        They were the, one of the first businesses, one of the first, uh, fashion companies that gifted me when I had about 11,000 followers on Instagram. So, I've, I've just, we believed in each other from the very start. So, it was just such an organic movement for me, like, just to in that business. And another funny story is that when I came out of Love Island, I had this day where, um, all these fashion brands, they came forward and they sat down and they offered me all these crazy deals. They, look, I'm not joking, there was probably about 15-

    22. SBSteven Bartlett1:04:01

        (gasps) .

    23. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:04:01

        ... of all my dream brands. They came in and they were like, "We'll offer you this. We'll offer you a car. We'll offer you this amount of money." Um, and PLT didn't actually, it was Umar, um, Zoom called me. They were actually (laughs) the only one that didn't show up on the day. But they were the most important to me, because I knew that I was like, uh, these business meetings with all these other brands are kind of irrelevant, because I know I want PLT. PLT wasn't the highest money offer that came forward. There were brands that came forward and offered me triple what PLT offered me. But because I love PLT so much and because I believed in them wholeheartedly, and I knew that me working with them was gonna be something-

    24. SBSteven Bartlett1:04:38

        Mm-hmm.

    25. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:04:38

        ... the way it is now, I, I went with them, and it was the best thing I ever did.

    26. SBSteven Bartlett1:04:42

        And what's the best, what's, for now, you've been in that role for several months. What's your, what's your, what do you enjoy most? From, 'cause you've taken a big step from being, you know, doing ranges with them to now being inside the business.

    27. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:04:54

        Yeah.

    28. SBSteven Bartlett1:04:55

        What's surprised you? What have you enjoyed?

    29. MHMolly-Mae Hague1:04:57

        Well, I think people wouldn't understand that the creative director role, it wasn't just out of the blue. It came about because I have been, I've always given my input in everything that I've done. In every collection I've brought out, I've always done more than the average influencer, and I think PLT saw that. I think they saw, "Hang on. This girl's actually got something to offer here. She's got ideas." On every shoot, I have a large input with location, sets, um, you know, photographers, models that I use. Like it's, I've always never just sat back and said, "Yeah, that'll do. I'll do that." I've always had something to say. Um, so it was, I think they, they, they saw that, and I think even things have changed so much now since I've come in this role. Like, the collections that I'm bringing out now, like, they're worked on for a year. They're not, it's like, I mean, the one we've, we're bringing out next, it's, it's been working on, we've been working on it now for about seven months. So, it's, um, things are done a lot more seriously. They're not rushed. They're really thought through. Um, we're working on, I don't know if I'm allowed to, I can speak about it. But we're working on, um, a London Fashion Week show, which has been in the works now, again, for about six months. Um, there's, it's a lot of work. And it's interesting as well. Again, I'll sit here and I'll say, I'll be honest, it's a business role, and I'm learning. I'm not, I don't know everything about business, you know? And a lot of, I got a lot of backlash when I came forward saying I was the new creative director. People were saying, "Well, what do you know about being a creative director? You've never been to university."

Episode duration: 1:41:23