The rise of the influencer is something which the celebrity world has witnessed since the turn of the millennium. What started with celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian cashing in on their fame has morphed into reality television stars creating a brand purely through social media. However, throughout the pandemic, the public’s respect and adoration for many of the biggest influencers of the past few years has not only dwindled, but perhaps vanished altogether. Instead, we are beginning to realise that these people are not the role models we need, but rather we have been shown that many are attempting to exploit their following to flout the rules and risking the health of thousands. 

Arguably one of the biggest influencers to have emerged in recent years is Molly-Mae Hague, who has amassed over 5 million followers on Instagram since landing runner-up on Love Island with boyfriend Tommy Fury. Hague is reported to have made £500,000 from a collaboration with PrettyLittleThing after leaving the villa, and supposedly has the ability to charge upwards of £10,000 per Instagram post. However, the star has recently come under fire not only for travelling to both Dubai and the Maldives in December, when parts of the UK when entering tier 4 restrictions, but also for failing even to correctly wear her mask whilst travelling. Many fans also considered the influencer to be ‘out of touch with reality’ as she vlogged her luxurious holidays amidst the backdrop of the pandemic. 

Whilst Molly-Mae’s actions are out of touch and irresponsible, they were not illegal, as she chose to travel before the UK entered another lockdown in January. In contrast, many influencers have flown to Dubai since the current lockdown was imposed, claiming that their travel was essential for work purposes. One fitness influencer, Sheridan Mordew, appeared on ‘This Morning’ on January 26th, claiming that her line of work included ‘motivating people,’ and that part of the reason her trip was essential was owing to the fact that gyms in the UK are currently closed. Both Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby disagreed that Mordew’s travel was in any way essential, and instead argued that she was promoting travel in a dangerous time when people should be staying at home. Mordew was ridiculed on social media, with many people becoming angered at the fact that so many influencers are continuously posting holiday pictures on the Internet whilst daily deaths from COVID-19 in the UK are regularly breaching 1500. 

In contrast to these influencers who have been flouting the rules, many people have instead been turning to positive figures, such as key workers, to remain motivated. Vogue magazine replaced the celebrities who usually pose for the cover of the publication with keyworkers in July 2020, conveying the message that these are the role models that we should be looking to during difficult times. One figure who has been revered throughout the pandemic is Love Islander and NHS worker Dr Alex George, known affectionately online as ‘Dr Alex.’ Whilst working full-time as a doctor, George has also been grieving the loss of his brother, who sadly passed away in July 2020, however the influencer has still been posting on social media (mainly TikTok), encouraging people to maintain their exercise levels during lockdown as well as creating educational videos on both the pandemic and mental health. This has been a highly positive influence for many people, as Dr Alex has shown his down-to-earth battle with both the loss of his brother and the pandemic, and is therefore far more relatable than influencers holidaying in Dubai. 

Despite repeated criticism from the public, it does not seem that influencers have accepted that their work is in no way essential, and they seem ignorant of the fact that their Instagram photos from the beach in Dubai are driving fans away rather than motivating or influencing them at all. Perhaps this is the wake up call which we needed to see that influencers are not the heroes or celebrities which we have been heralding them as, and will allow us to focus instead on the key workers who are truly motivating us through this period.

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