Molly-Mae Hague admits she's feeling 'empowered' and 'doesn't recognise the old her' as she gives first interview since Tommy Fury split amid launch of her new brand Maebe

Molly-Mae Hague is looking forward to a 'new era' in her life following her split from fiancé Tommy Fury .

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline for the first time since the shock break-up in August, the influencer says she feels 'emotional' but is channeling all her energy into the couple's one-year-old daughter, Bambi, and her new clothing line Maebe, which she launched this week.

The former Love Island star, 25, admits while her life looks picture-perfect, the past six months have been a juggling act and she has found parenting as well as running her existing businesses 'tricky.'

But navigating the launch of her fashion label alongside the end of her five-year relationship has given Molly the chance to focus on the next chapter as she admits: 'It was really good timing for this to happen for me. It has all just aligned perfectly.'

It has been five years since she and Tommy fell head over heels for each other on national TV, but Molly says she doesn't recognise the 19-year-old who strutted into the villa – and the creation of Maebe has given her a newfound confidence.

Molly told MailOnline: 'When I became a mum, I changed a lot as a person and different things became important to me in terms of fashion, it was the right time to launch Maebe. I was really ready to sink my teeth into something new.

'I have a really good feeling about this new era of my life and think it's going to be so special and a great thing for me to focus on and put my time into as well as being a mum to Bambi.

'It was really good timing for this to happen for me. It has all just aligned perfectly really. I am so excited about it... I really do have an amazing feeling about the brand. I see Maebe having a huge future.

'I know if I make the right steps with it and I do this well, I do genuinely see it becoming really huge and being one of those brands that everybody knows and that's my dream and my goal.'

The launch of Molly's brand has been three years in the making after her plans were put on hold following the birth of Bambi in January 2023.

On Saturday, she opened her first ever pop-up shop where fans could experience the clothing before the 12-item drop goes on sale next Sunday evening at 7pm.

It is a landmark moment in Molly's career after she spent years lending her name to brands such as Beauty Works and PrettyLittleThing, where she even stepped up as creative director in 2021.

Molly has had five years in which she's gradually and steadily come into her own, not only building a home for herself and Bambi but evolving as a woman.

She said: 'I do feel emotional, but I am so focused.

'I feel so empowered. The whole experience of building the brand has been so empowering for me. It has given me a lot of confidence and taught me to be more of a businesswoman.

'I can say how I actually feel and speak up. I have always been a soft person and go with the flow, if I don't like something I can usually be quite withdrawn.

'I have grown up and it's given me the chance to be focused and driven. I have more confidence now to say how I feel. I am in my yes era.'

Molly's transition from Love Island star, which saw her experiment with lip and face filler, to one of the UK's biggest influencers, has been rapid.

Indeed, her eight million Instagram followers combined with her two million subscribers on YouTube has in part enabled her to buy a Cheshire mansion and own a designer wardrobe complete with £25,000 Birkin bag and a collection of Chanel pieces.

And she sees herself as an entirely new person compared to the once bikini-clad Islander, who met Tommy for the first time during their famous hot tub date in 2019, before he dubbed her his 'dream woman.'

She said: 'I am a different person to who I was on Love Island. I will never diminish what that did for me and that part of my life. But I don't view myself as that girl anymore.

'When I went on the show, I was 19, I was a baby, and I didn't have a lot of life experience.

'As the years go by, that becomes more of a distant memory and the life I have built for myself now, yes, I will always give Love Island the credit for putting me on that pedestal and giving me that platform but I do feel like the work I have put in has come from me and what I have chosen to do.'

Molly's fresh mindset may have something to do with her recent breakup, which gripped the nation, with legions of heartbroken fans desperate to know the reason behind the couple's split.

Writing on Instagram, Molly said: 'Never in a million years did I think I'd ever have to write this. After five years of being together I never imagined our story would end, especially not this way.'

Following her announcement, Tommy was hit with multiple claims he was unfaithful during their relationship, which he denies.

Out of respect to the boxer and the shared love of their daughter, Molly has stated she won't ever reveal the details of their separation, declining to 'spill the tea.'

Now, she's apprehensive about facing criticism from her following about Maebe, which she launches with a autumn/winter collection including two blazers, a classic white shirt with a twist, pinstripe jeans and a cropped cardigan with gold button detail.

The line is available to buy in a size UK 4-20 and ranges in cost between £35 and £145, which Molly predicts may disgruntle some of her fans.

She said: 'I am nervous about handling people's opinions.

'Look, not everything is going to be perfect, there might be a malfunction, and it's trying to navigate everything and maintain the brand image.

'I want to make sure the customer service is on point, that's a huge thing. We are a team of three and it's going to be a lot, but I feel ready for it.

'It's all positive so far because there's nothing for anyone to complain or moan about but I am prepared that there will be hiccups along the way. It's just how we navigate them.'

So, how does a 25-year-old with Molly's fame and fortune define the future of her success?

The star says her ultimate dream is to own a brand that surpasses her name and she hopes her customers will return to Maebe – she already has a second drop planned – because of their love of the product.

The said: 'I have self-funded the whole thing. Even the first orders, everything, the whole project was self-funded, the pop-up, every single pound that has gone into that is my own.

'People won't know that... I'm sure they think there's a big investor behind it but it's just me. I did reach out to a couple of people about investment, but I realised when that didn't happen I wanted to do this myself and I believe in myself and know it's going to be a success. I am in a really fortunate position where I can do that, and I back this.

'For me, success will be people returning to the brand because they love the clothes and yes, I am the owner of the brand and the vision but not being the reason people return.

'I want the fact it is my brand to dwindle away. When I feel that moment happening, it will be success for me, when it has become a brand people know and love.'