Molly-Mae Hague insisted she's 'worked hard' following backlash over podcast comments

Molly-Mae Hague has hit back at claims that her work as an influencer and the creative director for PrettyLittleThing doesn’t involve hard work, weeks after sparking a backlash with remarks she made about her background and privilege.

The former Love Island star came under fire in January after saying on the Diary Of A CEO podcast that “you’re given one life and it’s down to you what you do with it”, that she’d worked her “a*** off” for her money and that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day to achieve things.

In a new interview with the Mirror, the 22-year-old explained just how much time and effort she has been putting in to get things right for her latest collection with the fashion brand.

“Honestly, we've worked really really hard. When I do a job it has to be done to the best of my ability. It has to be my focus," she stated.

Read more: 'Dragon's Den' star criticises 'double standard' after Molly-Mae Hague interview goes viral

"I've been working on this for a very long time now. It's eight months work for a 15-minute show”.

She continued: “It's hard to explain what a day looks like really. One day I'll be in at 9am and not leave until 10pm!”

The reality star was called “tone deaf” and “Thatcherite” by outraged fans after her interview in January, and she went on to stress that had not been “commenting on anyone else’s life or personal situation”.

Representatives for the star told The Sun: “If you listen to the full conversation and interview, Molly was asked about how the nature of her potential grows and how she believes in herself.

“This part of the interview was discussing time efficiency relating to success. Molly refers to a quote which says ‘We all have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce’. She was discussing her own experience and how she can resonate with this specific quote.

“Her opinion on if you want something enough you can work hard to achieve it is how she keeps determined with her own work to achieve more in her own life. Molly is not commenting on anyone else’s life or personal situation. She can only speak of her own experience.”

Hague’s representatives said the reality star acknowledges that “everyone is raised in different ways and from different backgrounds” but her comments were referring to "timing, hard work and determination in her own life”.

The statement continued: “Social media users have shared a short snippet from this interview with words such as ‘if you are homeless buy a house’ and ‘if you are poor be poor’.

“These are absolutely not Molly’s words, these are not Molly’s thoughts and this isn’t at all the meaning or thought behind that conversation.”

Watch: Molly-Mae finally addresses criticism after she said 'we all have 24 hours in a day'