The problem with Hague's 24 hours, and what we can do about it

Molly-Mae Hague (Image: Kiss.ie)

Molly-Mae Hague first graced our screens in 2019 coming second in the hit ITV2 show Love Island, but since used her time to lucrative effect - amassing millions of followers on social media and being offered sponsorship deals for eye-watering amounts. Now at 22 years of age, she has profitable businesses in her portfolio and is seen as a future force for economic good in the fashion and beauty industries.

After appearing on a popular reality contest, it's easy to sit back, relax and reap the benefits doing supposedly little. Many have, therefore, rightly praised Hague for her savviness - using her 'name' to helping others look and feel good. But it's her recent comments that have divided opinion. She appeared on a podcast hosted by Dragon's Den investor Steven Bartlett talking about 'how to get what you want', among other topics. Hague, using her personal experiences, stated - and I paraphrase - that we're all given the same 24-hours, we make our own choices, and you have to work hard to get to where you want to be. 

The most controversial quote from that exchange arguably was: "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."

Hague's appearance has attracted a fierce debate; with one side saying that she was 'tone deaf' and the likes of Bartlett defending her by calling out 'sexism', adding that male CEOs say similar things on his podcast and nobody bats an eyelid. To be honest, neither argument is completely right - I yearn for the day we can no longer call out 'sexism' when it doesn't exist. Hague has been given this much attention because she's got a following which CEOs generally don't. CEOs hide behind their desks, make important decisions behind the scenes, enjoy the benefits and not partake in popular TV shows. Any publicity an average CEO does include; profiles on broadsheets or appear on news broadcasters if their company is in crisis. Other than that, the wider public aren't remotely interested in what a CEO has to say.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with Hague having a relatively straightforward break to business success through a reality television programme. Love Island in particular has seen controversy with its after care psychological support - two contestants ended their lives due to suicide, with the mental health impact of appearing on the show and its consequent unwarranted social media attention put to question. You can argue that Hague had a good support network from Love Island to help her achieve her future goals. 

But I think that's where Hague's comments were short-sighted. Yes, we have the same 24-hours in that there are 24-hours in a day. But I can list three issues which stops us from having the same 24-hours - and by this, I'm talking about fair opportunities in life. The first is our environment; launching a business or obtaining a longstanding career goal costs money, and at the moment too many of us are having to choose between heating and eating. In addition to this, culturally and politically, we've not gotten to the bottom of our inability to offering opportunities to communities struggling with poverty, drugs and violent crime. There are people who break out of the vicious cycles that come with these, yet they are far and few between. 

For those who struggle to get away from poverty or, say a domestic abuse, comes the second challenge - mental health. At first, sure, there's a desire to 'get what you want', but how many interviews can one go through and not get a job? And how many times do you want to say 'I want to get out of a situation' and have nobody believe you, or too few people to reach out to, and you're then trapped? Those Love Island contestants who died from suicide had genuine ambitions too, but had different 24-hours to those with contrasting circumstances. Nothing is linear when it comes to achieving a goal, no matter how big or small - and the strain can impact us psychologically, we cannot underestimate that.

The third comes opportunity. Hague's route to business and financial 'success', we can argue, has been straightforward, but that's a single-minded way of looking at it. Being raised with 'privilege' and appearing on a TV show doesn't guarantee happiness or fortune. Certainly, they open doors to opportunities that those living in a world with no contacts in their ideal sector of work can hope for. What line of work, has drastically changed in recent years and while it's great Hague entered the world of business, many who want to follow her footsteps would just want to be 'social media influencers'. In fact, according to a poll in early 2019, that title was in the top five most desired professions for 11 to 16 year old British children. In the United States, that stat is much higher. With that in mind, it's becoming a crowded market and plenty of disappointed faces if this isn't achieved. Their 24-hours have suddenly become that more challenging, unless they had a Plan B.

This may be a daunting sign that the future generation is thinking a little too far away from reality. It isn't sustainable to have thousands and thousands of people becoming 'influencers' on topics they're most passionate about. Mindsets need to change. True, young people aren't sticking to the same jobs like our parents and grandparents did, and the economy and personal interests are certainly different. And they aren't playing sports as often as previously, even up until recently (which may explain why we're lacking options in good cricketers who can win England the Ashes). But it doesn't help when the sport is called 'elite' by those who know the sport, which means that it's potentially inaccessible for those who may be amazing at cricket but not given the resources or contacts to perform at that level, thus their goals aren't deservingly achieved. These lack of opportunities that Hague has been blessed with are becoming more of a luxury by the day.

Hague is absolutely right in plain context, however, people who don't have the resources to succeed in what they want to need doors, trust and a leap of faith from those who can open the key doors for them, regardless of how challenging their circumstances are. We often call for equal opportunities, but that means giving those with enthusiasm, yet obstacles and baggage, with a chance to shine. I want to get rid of the phrase, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." A mindset shift is how society can change for the good.