At 21, Social Media Influencer Slammed For ‘Bragging’ About Buying First House Mortgage-Free

Apr 20, 2023

Buying your first home should be a moment of pride and fulfillment at having realized such an accomplishment, but for one young woman, that joy quickly devolved into tears.

Social media influencer Katylee Bailey, who hails from Low Moor in West Yorkshire, England, first shared the news with her 2.8 million followers that she had become a homeowner at the age of 21 in a celebratory post in April 2023. In the video, the visibly ecstatic Bailey popped a bottle of champagne that released confetti with the words “Mortgage free and a home owner at 21 baby!!!” emblazoned on the clip. 

According to Telegraph & Argus, Bailey dropped out of university to concentrate on her social media full-time after garnering upwards of 2 million followers by the time she was 19 years old. It was reported then that she earned about £1,000 (about $1,242) for each video. 

Despite her immense popularity, Bailey’s post in celebration of becoming a young homeowner did not go down well with everyone. While many praised Bailey for achieving her dream at such a young age, others were quick to put her down.

“So sad the people that work the least get this, and people putting their life on the line can barely afford heating,” one viewer commented, while another said, “well done but like i feel bad for doctors/nurses etc for what they do and don’t get half as much.”

Another said, “And I can’t even afford to buy myself a dairy milk from the Co-op.” Another wrote, “Yeah sorry, but TikTok isn’t a job. It’s not work.”

“Literally bland as a biscuit and we call this talent and reward it, says more about society than it does her tbh, the average mental bar really is low,” another critical comment read. 

A few days later, Bailey uploaded a teary video in response to all the criticism she had received and said while she was proud of what she had achieved, she was deeply affected by the negative feedback.

“I just wanted to come on here to say that I’m sorry to anyone who feels like I’m bragging about the house thing. Yes, the system is absolutely f****d, I will never get my head around the fact that I’ve become so lucky,” Bailey said through sobs.

“But believe or not, as much as some of you guys don’t want to understand this, I do actually work and let me tell you something, social media is so mentally draining,” she explained. 

“I know there are many people out there who work their a***s off. I genuinely did just fall lucky with social media. And yes, my family have given me an amazing life. But I didn’t get brought up with money, so to be able to achieve such a big thing at 21 years old, I’m just so grateful,” Bailey added.

“It’s not me bragging, it’s me being so proud of myself. I think if anyone else had the opportunity, they’d do it,” she remarked tearfully. 

Her fans took to the comments to offer words of encouragement and support, with many agreeing that she had absolutely nothing to be sorry for.

“Do not sit there and apologise for something that you have achieved YOURSELF you should be proud and so should everyone,” one user wrote, while another said, “BRAG ABOUT IT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE it’s something to be proud of.”

Another comment read, “People are sick acting like it's your fault there's a housing crisis!! ffs, you should be incredibly proud of yourself love 🤍 congratulations.”

What are your thoughts on Bailey’s achievement in becoming a homeowner at 21? Do you feel the criticism she received is justified? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to friends and family to get their take on it too.