by Dr Rahim Said
Molly-Mae Hague might have walked away with a National Television Award (NTA), but what really walked away—quite literally—was her shoe.
As she made her way up to accept her trophy, Cinderella’s slipper decided to make a bid for independence. Ever the pro, Molly-Mae laughed it off: “Not the shoe coming off up the stairs, typical.”
Just like that, she joined a long and distinguished hall of fame of wardrobe malfunctions that history keeps gift-wrapping for us, like a reminder that fame is nothing if not fragile—and sometimes hilarious.
Take Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars in 2013. Winning Best Actress, she tripped over her Dior gown on the way up the stairs. It wasn’t just a stumble—it was a slow-motion ballet of fabric and panic. The moral? Always practice the red-carpet equivalent of parkour before awards season.
Or Madonna at the 2015 Brit Awards. There she was, queen of pop, ready to reclaim her throne, until her cape decided it preferred the spotlight. Yanked backwards like a cartoon villain, she hit the stage floor with more force than her backing dancers. Lesson learned: never trust a cape unless you’re Superman.
Then there’s Nicki Minaj at the 2014 MTV VMAs. During her performance, she had to hold her dress together with her bare hands to prevent a total broadcast blackout. The takeaway? Safety pins are a performer’s best friend, and quick reflexes are worth more than choreography.
Of course, who could forget Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the 2004 Super Bowl? A “wardrobe malfunction” so notorious it birthed the term itself, sending America into a moral meltdown. Lesson: never trust choreography involving Velcro and a man with wandering hands.
But long before hashtags and viral clips, Kuala Lumpur had its very own wardrobe malfunction legend. In the 1980s, Ogy Ahmad Daud was performing at Scott’s Bar in the old KL Merlin Hotel when—uncharacteristically—her top gave way mid-performance. The audience, suddenly wide-eyed, didn’t quite know whether to applaud the song or the spectacle. Ogy, ever the consummate professional, carried on as though nothing happened.
Lesson learned? In showbiz, composure is the real costume.
Of course, it’s not just the ladies. Prince William’s trousers once caught the breeze a little too freely at a polo match, reminding us that royal fabric too is not wind-resistant. Men, take note: double stitch before you double-gallop.
What ties all these disasters together? Beyond the stitches, zippers, and runaway heels, wardrobe malfunctions are little reminders of human frailty—proof that even under the blinding lights of glory, gravity still exists, Velcro still fails, and tops can indeed fall at Scott’s Bar.
If Molly-Mae’s shoe taught us anything, it’s that a sense of humour saves the day far better than a stylist ever could. She didn’t trip, she didn’t panic—she quipped, smiled, and carried on. That’s the golden rule of malfunctions: laugh first, fix later.
So, here’s to the wardrobes of tomorrow. May they hold strong when the moment matters. But if they don’t—at least give us a blooper reel worth remembering.
After all, Oscars and NTAs fade from memory, but a flying shoe—or a fallen top at Scott’s Bar—well, that’s forever.
(The views expressed here are entirely those of the writer)
WE