- A British TikTok influencer has made a video to celebrate buying her first home at the age of 21.
- Some commenters suggested her post was insensitive to those struggling to make ends meet.
- The influencer apologized for the insult but said she was proud of herself and her job.
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A 21-year-old influencer has defended herself after backlash when she announced she’d bought her first home, as viewers felt she didn’t deserve it given the nature of her job.
On April 8, Katylee Bailey, a British TikTok influencer with 2.8 million followers who typically posts motivational content about self-love and lifestyle content about spending time with her grandparents and friends, released a video featuring her was how she banged a confetti cannon with it was shaped like a champagne bottle, as an on-screen caption read: “Mortgage free and a homeowner at 21 baby!!!”
Bailey’s video received 3.8 million views, which is comparatively viral compared to her other posts, which typically receive hundreds of thousands of views. While many commenters expressed support for the influencer, noting that owning a home at her age is a great achievement, others were critical, suggesting her post was outspoken and insensitive to other people experiencing difficulties have to afford rent and housing.
“So sad that the people who work the least get this and people who put their lives on the line can barely afford a heater,” one person wrote.
“Now everyone else has real jobs and is struggling to make ends meet,” wrote another commenter.
Several commenters talked about how they couldn’t afford to buy a mortgage-free home with the salary from their current industries, which they believed included nursing and engineering, implying that influencers earn disproportionate income for the assumed workload achieve they do. As one person put it, “Maximum everything for minimal effort.”
As Insider previously reported, British residents are increasingly turning to TikTok to share savings tips to deal with the country’s cost-of-living crisis as the country has seen soaring food and energy prices over the past year. According to UK-based housing and homelessness charity Shelter, this has had a particularly devastating impact on low-income renters – the latest data says nearly 2.5 million UK residents are either arrears or constantly struggling to pay their rent to pay.
On April 10, Bailey released a follow-up video in which she tearfully responded to the online backlash with an apology to her viewers.
“I’m sorry for anyone who feels I’m bragging about the house thing. Yes, the system is absolutely fucked up. I’ll never think about how lucky I was,” she said.
The influencer added that she “didn’t grow up with money” and is proud of herself for being able to afford a home because of her job, which she says requires hard work.
“I actually work, and let me tell you something, social media is so mentally draining,” she said.
The post has garnered 3.7 million views, and commenters overwhelmingly supported the influencer’s statement, saying she shouldn’t feel obligated to apologize for any negative remarks.
“Wow don’t sit there and apologize for something you accomplished YOURSELF, you should be proud and so should everyone,” one person wrote.
In the past, influencers who shared videos about large or lavish purchases have come under fire because their posts were out of touch with reality for most people.
In October, Insider reported that lifestyle influencer Quenlin Blackwell faced backlash after telling her TikTok followers that she “accidentally” bought a $100,000 couch before pretending the whole thing was a prank . The following month, influencer and OnlyFans creator Tara Lynn was criticized for saying on a TikTok that she spent $10,000 on Harry Styles tickets so she could be close to the stage.
Bailey officials did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
For more stories like this, check out Insider’s Digital Culture team’s coverage here.