Islanders from Molly-Mae’s season of the show are speaking out about the podcast saga

Last week saw Love Island 2019’s Molly-Mae Hague go viral after making “tone-deaf” comments in a podcast interview about work ethic and her success. And now, Islanders who appeared on the show alongside her have been commenting on what she said.

In the interview, she said to make money people just need to work harder. “If you want something enough, you can achieve it,” she said. “You’re given one life and it’s down to you what you do with it. You can literally go in any direction. When I’ve spoken about that in the past I have been slammed a little bit, with people saying ‘it’s easy for you to say that because you’ve not grown up in poverty, so for you to sit there and say we all have the same 24 hours in a day is not correct.’ But, technically, what I’m saying is correct. We do.”

Love Island stars from the 2019 series who lived in the villa alongside Molly-Mae are now commenting on what’s happened – here’s what they had to say.

‘To say we all have a level playing field is very damaging’

In a YouTube video answering questions from fans, 2019 Love Island winner Amber Gill was asked if we do all have the same 24-hours. She first said she does not condone “inciting hatred, trolling or jumping on anyone in the public eye”. But she still made it very clear she doesn’t agree with what Molly-Mae said. “Do I think we all have the same 24 hours? I just don’t,” she said.

“Because I come from a mixed race background and I can see different perspectives I don’t have that view. Social inequality is a massive thing whether it’s race, gender, sexual orientation, anything like that. To say we all have a level playing field is very damaging. I’m very fortunate – I fell into Love Island because I’m deemed ‘attractive’, which is luck. Obviously you’ve got to be deemed attractive on Love Island, you have to have people like you. Not everyone is as fortunate as me showing my personality. I was lucky that I won, I was lucky that people follow me.”

Amber continued: “I’m not saying it’s not hard work to get where you are even in this industry because it is and it does take determination but it’s very damaging to say we all have the same 24 hours because we don’t. For me, I’m in a position where I can get on a flight to Dubai or get on a flight to London. I can buy cameras and tripods and clothes and do things that make it easier for me to get a step ahead that other people do not have the access to do so.

“It’s not really fair to say we all have the same 24 hours. Essentially, technically everyone has 24 hours in  day but do we have the same access? Even if it’s supportive parents, or even having parents or having a place to live not having to choose between your heating or feed your kids or affording clothing or education or just being able to afford everything to achieve a good standard of life.”

‘The only reason people know who you even are is because of the show’

Fellow Love Island 2019 winner, Greg O’Shea also weighed in on the drama, quickly disagreeing with what Molly-Mae said and how she credits all her success to herself, and not to being on Love Island. “My thing is, the only reason people know who I am is because of the show,” he told The Mirror.

“Obviously there are other big parts to my life that I really care about, like my fitness and my rugby, but the only reason people know me is because of the show – that’s why I have a decent following now. I would never turn my back on it personally. I don’t pretend like I didn’t go on the show. Obviously, I did use it to springboard my passion and I used it for my interests to help me create a career for myself.

“When I hear about other Love Islanders that don’t want to talk about the show in interviews or don’t acknowledge it, I think to myself  ‘the only reason people know who you even are is because of the show’. I would never shun the show. That’s my opinion on it.” He added that Molly-Mae was “very lucky” with how the show turned out for her.

‘I’m really surprised you’re commenting on this at all’

Right after the scandal, Molly-Mae’s Love Island bestie Maura Higgins had her back and was defending her when other Islanders spoke out about it. 2020 Islander, Shaughna Phillips, tweeted saying: “Molly Mae is young, who’s had a lot of success really quickly, and not a lot of ‘life’. So I can understand why she holds those views. We all say things when we’re younger and look back and think ‘well that was stupid’ lol. No shade, I wanna live in her bubble.” She also deleted a tweet which read: “If you’re poor, just don’t be poor”.

Maura replied to the first tweet asking Shaughna why she felt the need to get involved, saying: “Surely you know as someone in this industry how lonely and scary it can be when the whole internet is slamming you. You’re entitled to your opinion yes but I’m really surprised you’re commenting on this at all”.

Shaughna then replied again saying she “100 per cent” does understand. “That’s why I tweeted this in her defence,” she said. “She’s young and successful, it’s not her fault she has those views. Like I said, no shade, just jel lol”.

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• Molly-Mae has now lost over 40k followers after her podcast interview going viral

• Maura is now going for ex-Islander Shaughna over the Molly-Mae drama

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