Navigating the world of celebrity journalism presents unique challenges, especially when the subjects of your articles are people you admire. Such was the case with Molly-Mae Hague, who offers fans a glimpse into her life with the second season of her Amazon Prime series, “Molly Mae: Behind It All.” However, the real question is, what is she like when the cameras aren’t rolling? I’ve had the chance to meet Molly-Mae Hague on two occasions, but the first time was nerve-wracking. As a longtime follower, I was anxious that the real Molly-Mae might not live up to the image I had cherished.

I was not ready to have my perceptions shattered; past experiences taught me that meeting admired personalities can sometimes lead to disappointment. My first encounter with Molly-Mae was at a Beauty Works Christmas event, a gathering teeming with influencers, though she was undeniably the star attraction.

The venue was bustling with excitement, and as Molly made her entrance, all eyes were drawn to her. She was promptly guided to a private section, soon accompanied by Tommy Fury and Maura Higgins.

Determined to get an interview, I made my way over, bracing myself for the defining moment that would reveal her true character.

When I approached Molly for a conversation, she greeted me with a warm smile—a far cry from the dismissive reactions I’ve encountered from others in the past. Just as she was about to speak, her manager, Fran, stepped in, suggesting they grab a drink first, delaying the interaction but not diminishing her approachable demeanor.

Fair enough, the girl had literally just walked through the door. But as Fran asked that, Molly gave me another smile almost as if she was apologising. A short time later, I headed back over and Molly was drowning in fans who were begging her for a photo, but she still had a moment for me and honestly, I was more than happy with that.

I left thinking, ‘Okay great, she’s nice, we didn’t speak much, but she’s actually sweet’. Not long after, I was invited to a second opportunity to meet Molly, and that’s when I truly got the most out of her.

I already knew that she was nice, open to speaking to people, and happy to be around her fans, but meeting her the second time was in a far less busy environment, and it was a million times better.

We met upon a discussion about her new (at the time) gig as PLT Creative Director, she did a sit down Q&A with multiple publications and then headed into a separate room, where I got speaking to her manager, who then invited me to the fashion show later that week.

As Fran and I were talking, she introduced me to Molly, who was so incredibly lovely and was just chatting away about how she thought the Q&A had just gone, her nerves and her excitement.

Quite frankly, she just seemed like a normal person who had just done something that was out of her comfort zone. She was exactly the same as the girl I watched on YouTube, not the “perfect” version you see on Instagram, but the version of herself that she shows to her community.

This was around the time she had been skewered for saying that everyone has 24 hours in a day (which she quoted from Beyonce, may I add, something that people always forget), so I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had her guard up, but she just seemed relaxed that she’d completed the Q&A.

When I consider that the first time I met Molly, this was in 2021, she doesn’t seem to have changed from that first conversation; she just wants to do right, but gets it wrong sometimes and is incredibly hard on herself when she does.

She’s still learning, but one thing that I can absolutely confirm about Molly-Mae is she’s actually genuine, even in stressful moments, she welcomes everyone with a smile, a nice conversation and positivity. Molly knows that she’s where she is because of her supporters, and she never seems to get frustrated at that.