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MOL THE MERRIER
People just want a fairytale ending with me & Callum – but I’ve got a new fairy tale now, says Love Island’s Molly Smith
Scroll to read in the make-up chair with Molly - where she answers who her celebrity beauty icon is
Returning to a reality show for a second stint can be a risk – as stars like Katie Price and Jade Goody discovered.
But for Molly Smith, going back to Love Island older and wiser gave her the chance for redemption – and has sent her career stratospheric.
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The 30-year-old Manchester model was crowned winner of the first Love Island: All Stars alongside boyfriend Tom Clare, 24, in February and, since then, brand deals have come flooding in from the likes of Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris, as well as a record-breaking collab with Boohoo.com.
Her Instagram followers have also soared to 1.6m, so it’s no surprise she’s being dubbed “the new Molly-Mae” – a comparison she describes as “amazing”.
The ITV show is back for its 11th series tomorrow, and despite accusations that it’s become tired and formulaic, Molly says she will definitely be tuning in with Tom to watch the young hopefuls navigate life in the villa in a bid to find love (or a few more social media followers!).
“The show is still a must-watch for us,” she says.
“You just get so addicted and invested in all the couples and the drama.
“It’s so weird to know you’ve won it,” she admits.
“It’s such a bizarre feeling to think of people voting for us.”
Winning Love Island: All Stars is a world away from her first stint on the ITV show in 2020, where she entered as a bombshell during the Casa Amor twist in series six and “stole” Callum Jones away from fan favourite Shaughna Phillips, leaving viewers furious.
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Callum and Molly left the villa soon after, and it seemed they had proven the haters wrong when they set up home together with their two dogs, Nelly and Winnie.
Well, until last September, when they suddenly announced they’d split after nearly four years together.
Love Island's Kady McDermott looks incredible as she strips off to lace see-through jumpsuit on luxury holiday
But when the new Love Island: All Stars show was announced (coincidentally) days later, fans smelled a rat.
They were convinced it was a ruse to go on the show separately and reunite to win.
Not so, says Molly.
“I read so many messages saying: ‘Oh, they’ve definitely split up to go on [to the show] and get back together,” she says.
“It was crazy. We absolutely did not have a grand plan. I think that was quite clear from watching us in there.”
In fact, the shock of seeing her ex left Molly in tears, and she even considered walking out.
But she was a different and stronger Molly than the one we’d seen before, and in the end she stayed put and ultimately won viewers over.
“This time around I was older,” she explains.
“I feel like I was a little bit more confident. Last time, I was so on edge going in and upsetting people. I was a bit reserved. Whereas this year, I thought: ‘If you don’t like me, you don’t like me.’
Desperate to reunite them
“Obviously, it wasn’t the greatest first 10 days. I was so rocked [by Callum being there]. I remember just thinking: ‘Oh no, this is awful. I want to go home. Why am I putting myself through this?’ And it wasn’t actually until Tom walked in that things took a massive turn.”
She grins at the mention of footballer Tom.
But despite how besotted they were with each other in the villa, fans (and perhaps the producers) were desperate to reunite Molly with Callum.
“I know many people wanted us to get back together,” she says.
“We’re obviously in the bubble of the villa and you don’t know anything. So when we got the Zoom calls from friends and family and they were really pushing it, I was so baffled.
“Everyone in there knew that there was no inkling of that. It wasn’t like anything bad happened in our relationship. We just both agreed that we weren’t working. There was no vibe with us in the villa.
“Now it’s all died down, anyone can see how happy me and Tom are. I feel like sometimes people just want a fairy-tale ending – but I’ve got a new one now.”
With the benefit of hindsight, Molly is grateful that Callum was on the show, as they were able to properly sort out the issues around their break-up.
“I don’t think we would have ended up on such a great level if we weren’t in that situation. We were forced to deal with it, move on from it and be friends. But if we hadn’t gone in there, we probably never would have spoken again.
“And we actually get on. Callum and Tom get on really well, too. There was no animosity [between them]. It was all just really normal. It’s quite nice to know that it’s completely sorted.”
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So, two stints on Love Island, both times leaving with a boyfriend…
Would she do it for a third time?
“No!” she exclaims.
“I won’t be doing it again. I hope this is it now. I think Tom is The One [she pauses and thinks]. Yes, I know he is. We’ve got all the same morals and values. I made a non-negotiable list last year when I was single. There was all sorts on there… be more calm, patient, funny and prioritise me. And honestly, Tom ticks every single one.”
But it might have been because her “best friend”, Pomeranian Nelly, gave Tom her seal of approval that Molly knew he was special.
“I love seeing how much she loves him, and he loves her, too. She goes to him first as well. I know he’s good, because dogs just know. They are good judges of people.”
The pair are going from strength to strength.
In fact, they are one of only two couples that have lasted from the series.
“We were saying that the other day! There’s only me and Tom, and Josh [Ritchie] and Soph [Piper],” she notes.
“With Love Island, it’s a bit backwards, because you are in bed with them before you’ve even had a date.
“Obviously, [relationships] don’t work on the outside for certain reasons. You don’t really know someone until you come out of the villa. You’ve got tests on the outside, but there’s been nothing. I don’t want to jinx it, but we honestly can’t find a fault in each other.”
As if to prove Molly’s point, Tom then arrives on the Fabulous photo shoot armed with her favourite juice.
The pair have also moved in together, with Barnsley-born Tom ditching his London lad pad with fellow Love Islander Casey O’Gorman to move into Molly’s house up North.
Keen to tie the knot
“I have a house in Manchester I rent,” she says.
“He stayed quite often. Then slowly, there was extra stuff there and a drawer being filled. Then it was hanging a few clothes in the wardrobe and it was like: ‘Oh, we are kinda living together, so should you actually move in?’ I’m not too sure how Casey is coping without him. They are always texting and ringing each other. I think he was a bit upset when Tom moved out. I felt so awful. It’s all my fault!
“I don’t think Tom has lived with a girl before, but he’s so tidy. I’m a bit of a neat freak. But I’ll come home and he will have emptied the dishwasher and done the washing, and he’s vacuuming up. He’s honestly great – although he can’t cook. Mind you, neither can I! I did make my first Sunday roast last week, though. But I really hope he’s not expecting that every Sunday, because it was so stressful!”
One of the reasons given for Molly and Callum splitting up was that she was keen to tie the knot.
Now she’s 30, will the pressure be on Tom to pop the question?
“I’m not getting married anytime soon,” she says, adamantly.
“It was more that when you’re in a relationship you look towards the next stage. But it’ll happen when it happens. We talk about kids, which is really nice because I’ve not had that before in relationships. You don’t want to get years down the line and find out they actually don’t want kids.”
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Meanwhile, Molly’s focus away from Tom is her body.
Her Instagram is full of pictures of her in the gym, and she’s transformed how she looked since she first appeared on our screens.
Molly decided to have her boobs done, taking her from a 32B to 32C, and she also had a composite bonding procedure on her teeth.
“I’ve always wanted my boobs done,” she says.
“But because I was modelling at the time, I was advised it might not be the best idea. I was 25 when I first went on Love Island and I thought: ‘If I can’t make decisions about my own body, then that’s not right.’
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. People told me my old teeth were all right. But I used to suck my thumb, so they were quite crooked and really gappy. I absolutely love them now.”
Molly has turned her passion for fitness and living a healthy lifestyle into a business, launching Move With Molly fitness plans – a mix of workouts and nutrition.
“The gym has always been a huge part of my life,” she says.
“It’s more how it makes me feel mentally, not just my looks. I really fell in love with working out. People were always asking me for tips, so it felt natural to share the advice I had.
“I’m training to be a PT. Going to the gym alone can be intimidating. I used to be the girl who’d leave and go home if the gym was too busy or there were loads of men in the weights area. I’ve made videos so people can learn the moves I do, and there’s an online community where we support each other.”
Meanwhile, as well as her fitness company, Molly is the face of numerous big brands, including Maybelline, L’Oréal Paris, jewellery brand Abbott Lyon and Boohoo.com, as well as Stateside supplement brand Alani Nu, which also counts Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Emily Ratajkowski as ambassadors.
“With Alani, it was absolutely crazy. It’s bizarre to think they have worked with Kim Kardashian and they wanted me. I was like: ‘Why am I an ambassador?’ It doesn’t feel real sometimes. I still have to pinch myself.”
It’s clear Molly is living the dream and there will be many Love Islander hopefuls wanting to replicate her success tomorrow.
What advice does she have for them?
“Be yourself, enjoy it and just throw yourself into it and don’t hold back. The first time, I held back a little bit. Just think, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… Well, unless you do it twice!”
- Get fit with Molly’s Move With Molly plan. Visit Mwmplan.com.
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In the make-up chair with Molly
What are your skincare heroes?
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Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and L’Oréal Paris Setting Spray – my make-up will not budge with it.
Any make-up bag essentials?
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Laneige lip balm, mascara and a setting powder.
I keep it very minimal.
What do you splurge on?
I love perfume.
People always ask me what I’m wearing, and it’s Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire Oud Blanc.
Any beauty tips?
I’ve got quite deep smile lines.
When I use eye cream, I apply it there too, and it plumps the area a little.
Your celebrity beauty icon?
I love Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Hailey Bieber’s clean-girl aesthetic.
What was your beauty evolution?
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I didn’t wear much make-up in school – I was a goody two shoes!
But I did love Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation.