Molly-Mae Hague has broken her silence after facing a wave of backlash over her National Television Awards victory.
The 26-year-old former Love Island star scooped the Authored Documentary award for her Amazon Prime series Molly-Mae: Behind It All, which chronicled her life following her split from Tommy Fury. But her win has stirred controversy, with many viewers insisting other nominees were “more worthy.”
Amy Dowden’s Strictly Amy: Cancer and Me, Boyzone’s Sky docuseries, and the late Rob Burrow’s moving film about his battle with motor neurone disease all lost out to Molly-Mae’s programme — a result that shocked fans and fellow stars alike.
One viewer fumed: “Molly-Mae winning an NTA over Rob Burrow or Amy Dowden is everything that is wrong with the world.” Another branded it “wild times” that her documentary triumphed over “wonderfully powerful” competitors.
In a heartfelt Instagram statement, Molly-Mae admitted she was deeply aware of the criticism, writing: “Last night at the NTAs I shared a category with people whose stories will always be more powerful and inspirational than mine. I see that, I believe that and I want to acknowledge it again here.”
She added that it was “only right” to dedicate the award to Rob Burrow and his family, stressing: “This win belongs to them.” At one point, she even stunned fans with an unexpected outburst: “If you want me to, I will give this award back.”
Even so, Molly-Mae thanked her fans for voting: “I’m so grateful for the recognition but even more grateful to have stood alongside such strength and inspiration. To everyone that voted… I am absolutely blown away.”
Her speech on stage also echoed her tribute to Rob, with Molly breaking down in tears as close friend Maura Higgins cheered from the audience.
However, not everyone was convinced. Reality star Vogue Williams made a sly dig on Lorraine, joking: “I’m going to plan a break up because then I’m going to win an NTA myself,” drawing laughter but also highlighting the shock surrounding Molly’s triumph.
Despite the backlash, Molly-Mae stood firm, describing the experience as “an honour” and admitting she felt humbled to have shared the category with “seriously inspirational people.”
