How Molly Mae is copying Kim Kardashian’s fame formula & the lessons the current batch of Love Islanders must copy
FROM being a contestant on ITV’s Love Island to becoming the UK’s answer to Kim Kardashian, Molly-Mae Hague is killing it.
Since leaving the villa in 2019, the reality-star-turned-business-mogul has built an a £6 million empire for herself, making her one of the most successful stars to have appeared on the show.
And it appears she currently shows no signs of slowing down.
Infact, Molly just revealed that she has just bought a £169K Bentley for her new family car – a pretty impressive achievement for a 25 year old.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede said: “Molly Mae is fast becoming the UK’s answer to Kim Kardashian as she is now the most successful Love Island star ever.
“She’s done this by being such a likeable and popular star and emulated Kim Kardashian’s lifestyle with her dressed down daywear and stylish chic occasion wear styles.
“She is business minded, and because of that will constantly get deals with fashion brands.
“From her home to lifestyle, Molly has been savvy and has seamlessly managed to monetise every aspect of her life.”
Queen of influencing
Molly-Mae first found fame on the fifth series of Love Island where she met her now boxing champion fiance Tommy Fury, 25.
The pair, who share daughter Bambi, one, both live in a £4 million six-bedroom house in Manchester.
Molly not only has become the ‘Queen of Influencing’ with 7.9million Instagram followers, but also became the Creative Director of Pretty Little Thing from 2021 to 2023 which she was reportedly paid £5 million a year for.
Like Kim Kardashian, she is a proud business owner and CEO of her own tanning product called Filter by Molly-Mae – first formed in November 2019.
More recently, Molly-Mae became the brand ambassador for Marks & Spencer and L’Oreal in a reported seven-figure deal.
Emily Austen, culture expert and CEO of PR Agency EMERGE, believes Molly-Mae is “really the people’s princess.”
She is business minded, and because of that will constantly get deals with fashion brands
Nick Ede, culture expert
She says: “She’s relatable to a number of young people, especially women and had extraordinary exposure during her time on Love Island.
“Her popularity has increased as a result of her relationship, but also, because she’s broken through the fourth wall of ‘polished influencer’ and shown a much more realistic side to her life.
“She’s also had the nod of approval from entrepreneurial titans such as Steven Bartlett.
“In fact, that’s where the Kim K comparisons began, as Molly-Mae was ridiculed on social media for saying everyone has the same 24 hours in the day, much like Kim K saying that most people can’t be bothered to get up and work.”
Both Kim Kardashian and Molly-Mae were in their twenties when they found fame, and regularly post on Instagram in similar expensive designer brands like Chanel, Mui Mui and Cartier.
According to Billion Dollar Boys’s proprietary influencer marketing platform, Companion, Molly-Mae could be charging brands around £130k for one Reel and 3x Story Frames.
Like Kim Kardashian, Molly-Mae has a loyal following and Sophie Crowther, Talent Partnerships Director, believes this is because she truly knows her audience.
She says: “Like Kim Kardashian, Molly Mae has built her personal brand using a mix of social media and traditional TV audiences.
Her popularity has increased as a result of her relationship, but also, she’s broken through the fourth wall of ‘polished influencer’ and shown a much more realistic side to her life
Emily Austen, culture expert and CEO of PR Agency EMERGE
“Every brand deal she takes, product launch, documentary – everything is done with her audience in mind.
“She’s been exploring a variety of business opportunities since leaving the villa whilst maintaining a strong social media presence across multiple platforms.
“She’s managed to create a persona that is both wildly aspirational – driving Bentleys, wearing obscenely expensive watches – a life that many simply cannot relate to.
“But in the same vlog as mentioning these more luxurious parts of her life, she’ll also speak candidly about difficulties in her relationships, love, and life.
“Last year she shared a very personal video about her pregnancy and the struggles she faced as a new parent – something that a lot of women can relate to.”
Reality bites
In terms of tips for Love Island contestants from this year, Emily believes the key reason Molly-Mae did well was because people felt she was real in her time on the show.
She continues: “She also had a real relationship, which makes a huge difference to public opinion.
“The contestants who haven’t done as well as those who have a ’show-mance’ or are trying to stay relevant in place of any worthwhile content.
“My advice would be that it’s a long game strategy – it doesn’t have to just be 15 mins, and contestants should consider that they need to be visible to be relevant.”
According to Billion Dollar Boys, winners of this year’s series, Mimii and Josh, could charge around just £6.8K and £1.5K respectively.
Comparing the six million people who watched the 2019 final involving Molly Mae, just one million saw the end of the All Stars edition which aired earlier this year.
How can this year's Love Islander's find relevant brand partnership deals like Molly-Mae
Sophie Crowther, Talent Partnerships Director, says:
“I would say it really depends on what they want. If you are looking for a short term career, and to make a quick buck, but be out of the spotlight in a year, then there are talent agents who can help you to capitalise on this.
However, if you – like Molly Mae – have ambitions for a long term career in media, then my best advice is to view all opportunities that come your way through a considered lens, and ask if it aligns with your goals and ambitions.
Know who you are, what you want, and your ambitions for your career. If a brand partnership doesn’t align with this, then it may well be something to reconsider.
Likewise there are fantastic talent agents who will support you in your career growth. My advice is to meet with lots of agents before signing and find the one that feels like the right fit for you.
Your DMs will be flooded with offers, take some time before making a decision on who can help propel your career to where you want it to go.
Already we can see Uma – from this season’s Love Island – is defining her own brand and her pathway to a successful career is underway.
She was recently spotted having lunch with Edward Enninful OBE – ex Editor in Chief of British Vogue and one of the most influential people in luxury fashion today – helping to elevate her profile beyond the Love Island audience and give her credibility in the luxury and high-fashion world.
Finally, you also need a strong support network around you including family and friends as well as other creators who have followed a similar pathway to success and can share in your experiences.
Real-life connections are so valuable in the early stages of a flourishing career as a creator entrepreneur and can help you manage new-found fame – something which can have a mental, emotional and financial toll on contestants.”
Sophie says: “Love Island doesn’t quite have the same fame driving power that it once had.
“The show has also suffered some controversies which has potentially damaged its reputation among consumers.
“Not only that, but the rules have also changed between the two eras of Love Island.
“Whereas when Molly was in the villa, her social media accounts could be active to keep fans engaged; contestants this year had to subscribe to a social media account blackout during the competition.
“However, although winning Love Island may now be less of a guarantee of immediate fame and brand deals than it once was, it still offers contestants a valuable platform to springboard their careers.”
I’m loyal babe
This year’s contestants can take a leaf out of Molly Mae’s book.
Sophie continues: “She remained loyal to her original fans and played to her strengths by continuing to post on multiple platforms consistently, while also exploring new business ventures when the right opportunities presented themselves.
“Whether that be trialling new content formats in her social media heartland, such as long-form vlogging, or venturing further afield into new verticals – such as launching a career in fashion or founding a business.
“Crucially, though, whatever new venture or brand deal she’s taken on, it has always been carefully vetted.
“She asks herself, first and foremost, whether it fits with her personal brand and audience – her new brand ambassador deal with L’Oreal which is cited to be seven figures and speculated to be the biggest of her career yet is a good example of this.”