Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury announced their split with emotional Instagram Stories. They described themselves as “extremely upset” and “heartbroken” but shared no detail on what catalysed the end of their relationship.
Hague’s followers are rallying round her, certain Fury is to blame. Hundreds of comments have been left on her latest Instagram grid posts reassuring her, telling her everything will be fine and that she will flourish. Her audience is clear: Hague has nothing but their support. Comments on Fury’s Instagram tell a different story. One simply reads: “what have you done?”
Hague and Fury are regarded by many as Gen Z’s fairytale family. From Love Island to creator success, both have pursued passions of fashion, beauty and sport while securing multiple sponsorship deals on the way. So what now for their brand, which has been built on their relationship as a couple?
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Hague is undoubtedly the stronger talent. Her audience is deeply invested, having witnessed her evolve past the young woman they first met on Love Island to a talent who is untouchable in the UK market. Her openness and pursuit of happiness through family and often relatable daily joys has created a very wholesome kind of aspiration.
She had the composite bonding removed from her teeth to return them to their natural state. She also revealed she’d had filler in her face and lips dissolved, noting regrets about starting so young. Her transparency about cosmetic procedures has revealed wisdom and self-awareness. She wants her younger followers to learn from her mistakes.
She stepped down as creative director of PrettyLittleThing to focus on motherhood, but holds enormous commercial power. Her collaboration with Cosmetips sold out in 50 minutes last October and Marks & Spencer named her as a food ambassador. It is surely only a matter of time before Hague launches her own brand – there is a significant market for it.
Fury’s audience is more divided and volatile, which is often the case with talent working in sport. For every die-hard fan, there’s a brutal critic disputing value and skill. He has also had significant commercial success, but doesn’t bring sell-out power to the table like Hague. His audience is not hanging on his every word.
Arguably Fury’s brand has hugely benefited from his relationship with Hague. It gave the impression of heart and stability – two values big brands are keen to align with. However, the reality is this narrative is driven through his presence on her platforms rather than the content on his own.
All of this allows Hague to maintain a strong brand without Fury. Looking at the bigger picture, there is significant interest in “life after” stories, where influencers start a new chapter when relationships end. We have seen this with creators such as Chanel Boateng, Anna Whitehouse and Tanya Burr.
While the success of Brand Fury relies on his performance as an athlete and entertainer, the success of Brand Hague relies on her telling her story to an audience that doesn’t want to miss a thing.
They came to the limelight together but one thing is for certain as they separate: Hague is the star with the brand worth backing.
By Sara McCorquodale, CEO and founder of CORQ.
Molly-Mae Hague could be a generation-defining influencer but she’s the last one Love Island created