In real life, Mollie Pearce looks even better than the partial view we got of her when we last saw the 22-year-old through our fingers during the nail-biting final of The Traitors. Although she was unceremoniously duped by her “bestie” Harry Clark in front of eight million viewers, Mollie takes it in her stride, graciously telling us “it’s just a game” and she’s “not going to be mad at the person that wins”.
We have to wonder if Mollie actually is the real winner of the show. With magazine interviews and event appearance requests rolling in, the former Faithful is on a trajectory to stardom usually reserved for those coming out of the Love Island villa. A level of fame that is now dwindling with each new series of the dating show, leading us to wonder if the days of the ‘traditional’ reality star are over.
“I feel like that’s the beauty of it, though, isn’t it?” Mollie muses. “Because everyone on it is just so relatable.”
Mollie says the beauty of the BBC show is that it’s relatable
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
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Looking at Mollie on set today, there’s no way we’re seeing her as totally relatable; she looks perfectly at home as she poses with ease for the cameras. However, this ease is still relatively new to the Bristol-based beauty, who was born with a limb difference on her right hand and now wears a stoma bag following a life-changing surgery at 18 to treat her ulcerative colitis – a painful, inflammatory bowel disease.
Now, Mollie feels better than ever and is using her growing platform to raise awareness for those living with stomas. Here, the star talks to us more about her life post-show, romance rumours and her plans for the future.
Hi, Mollie! We have to dive right in with the question we all want to know. Are you still friends with Harry after that dramatic final?
[Laughs] Yes, we’re all good. We spoke straight after on our own and we just laughed. I might have called him some names but I’m over it now.
“Harry and I spoke straight after on our own and we just laughed,” Mollie says
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
Watching the show back now, do you have any regrets about how you played?
In hindsight, yes I have some regrets, but I can’t beat myself up about it, can I? People are like, “Why didn’t you spot this?” I just didn’t and that’s the end of it. I’m still proud of myself for getting to the final no matter what, and I had the best experience. I’ve made friends for life.
Do you all have a WhatsApp group? If so, what’s it called?
We do, it’s called Traitors Family. We’re all like one family now, and I think it’s really important that we all support each other, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. I got 21 new best friends.
Some viewers say you were “too nice”. Would you agree with that?
No, I don’t think I was too nice. It was the game to deceive, and if a Traitor was going to win the game, someone had to trust them otherwise what was the point? I don’t think trusting Harry made me too nice, I think it just means he played a great game.
So you’re not walking out questioning your ability to judge character?
Definitely not. I think if you’re going to hate yourself for believing a Traitor, then you shouldn’t go on the show in the first place. I was really good friends with Harry so that blinded me a little bit, but I was also good friends with Miles.
“If you’re going to hate yourself for believing a Traitor, then you shouldn’t go on the show,” the model says
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
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Is there any truth to the rumour that Harry is taking you on holiday with his winnings?
No [laughs], we’re not going away together. He owes me nothing. He played the game and he deserved to win that money.
Do you have anything to say about the romance rumours between you two?
This is super interesting because neither of us warned our partners about how the public was going to react to our friendship because, for us, it was just that. We just happened to be opposite sexes of similar ages. It [the rumours] took me by surprise, and I wish I could have prepared Max, but I never saw that coming. It’s obviously not very nice for our other halves to read that stuff.
Tell us about your relationship. How did you and Max meet?
We’ve been together for two and a half years, but we’ve known each other for much longer. We were in the same school and he became really good friends with my brother and it just went from there.
It must have been quite the chat between him and your brother!
Max sort of asked him for his permission, but in quite a casual way. Max treats me like a queen, so there’s nothing for
my brother to be mad at him about. If he didn’t have the right intentions, it would be different.
Are there any moving in or marriage plans on the horizon for you two?
No, I didn’t win the prize money so we can’t move in together – we don’t have a deposit! No, but seriously, we’re still so young.
Mollie is a professional model and hopes to keep inspiring those with limb differences and invisible illnesses
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
You’re a model by profession. How did you get into that?
When I was around 17 I walked into Primark and saw a campaign image of a model with one arm, and it never really occurred to me that it was even possible. I remember saying to my mum that I’d love to do that for other people, to inspire them. I didn’t have a stoma bag at that point but I was struggling with my ulcerative colitis and I’ve had a limb difference from birth.
Has being in campaigns helped boost your self-confidence?
Yes, definitely. Before I started modelling I never really showed off my hand. I didn’t ever feel like I needed to hide it but I think, self-consciously, I would put it behind someone’s back in a photo or cover it with my sleeve. After I posted about my first shoot, everyone was like, “Oh my God, we’re so proud of you.” That response made me want to show it more.
You celebrated your ‘three-year stoma-versary’…
Yes, and I normally celebrate with a curry because I could never eat that before my surgery. I think it’s important to celebrate it because it was when I got my life back. It’s good to acknowledge it and make it into something positive rather than remembering the surgery. I’ve even named my stoma bag Sid now. It makes it seem less clinical and more personal. It makes me feel a bit more empowered.
“Before I started modelling I never really showed off my hand,” Mollie tells OK!
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
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Abdominal surgery is topical at the moment because of the Princess of Wales. What was the recovery like?
Recovery was difficult. We forget how much we use our tummy muscles. I couldn’t do anything active for three months, but listening to your body and understanding that you won’t bounce straight back is important. And just having your home comforts helped. It was a relief to be at home with family.
We’ve decked you out in full ‘Traitorcore’ fashion today. Did you know you helped start that trend?
I’m not sure I really helped start this trend, it was all Claudia [Winkleman, the show’s host]!
You caused that pink Primark jumper you wore on the show to sell out!
I mean, did I make that happen? Was it me? I actually wore that jumper too many times. It was because I had all these outfits planned and the weather was just completely different to what I think any of us thought. I was just wearing outfits again and again!
Were you starstruck when you first met Claudia?
Oh yes, she’s beautiful. Also, her hair is gorgeous. Honestly, the fringe is even better in real life. Her clothes were so nice this season, too. When she’d walk around us at the round table I’d be so stressed but also I’d be like, “God I’m stressed, but damn she looks really good.”
“They were a surprise to us every day,” Mollie says, speaking about Claudia’s Traitors looks
(Image: Catherine Harbour)
So you didn’t get any sneak previews of her outfits before the cameras rolled?
They were a surprise to us every day, but I feel like our reactions towards them would have been better if there wasn’t so much going on! Watching it back, I’ve definitely paid more attention to the details.
Is there anything you want to buy after seeing Claudia wear it?
I really loved the chunky scarf she wore during the cabin mission. I also loved her blazers, but I don’t know if I could pull them off like her, to be honest.
Well, you’re proving today that you can! What’s next for you?
That’s a difficult question because this is all so new. If you told me a year ago I’d be doing a shoot with OK! I wouldn’t have believed you. I’ll take the opportunities and use my platform to raise awareness.
Photography: Catherine Harbour, assisted by Georgia Williams; Stylist: Lynne McKenna; Hair & make-up: Caroline Piasecki using Hourglass Cosmetics
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