Former Love Island star Montana Brown has found herself at the centre of online debate after a post about her toddler's screen time backfired spectacularly. The 30-year-old influencer, who shares son Jude, two and a half, and 12-month-old daughter Miley with fiancé Mark O'Connor, attempted to celebrate a parenting milestone, only to be called out by her own followers.
The TikTok That Sparked the Debate
In a recent TikTok video titled 'First proper screen time on the flight at 2.5 years old', Montana documented a long-haul family Christmas flight. She told her audience she was marking a significant moment, revealing that during the eight-and-a-half-hour journey, Jude had watched his first film.
"He watched it for about 10 minutes, didn't put on his headphones and then asked me 'can I have the next song'," she explained, suggesting her son thought it was merely a song with a video. She added that the experiment was fun and that he wasn't overly fussed by the screen, which she saw as a positive.
Fans Spot a Glaring Contradiction
However, attentive viewers quickly noticed a contradiction in Montana's story. Within the same video, she mentioned that Jude sometimes watches song clips on YouTube, specifically citing yodelling videos and music from The Sound of Music.
This led to a flood of comments pointing out the inconsistency. "Oh, so he does have screen time then," wrote one follower. Another directly questioned, "So…he watches YouTube?" Montana attempted to clarify, replying that it had happened "Only once when I was preggo with norovirus for 2 weeks."
Other fans were less convinced, with comments like "Slipped up that he watches you tube" and "Soooo when it suits." The incident highlighted the intense scrutiny faced by celebrity parents regarding their stated philosophies versus their actual practices.
A History of Controversial Opinions on Education
This is not the first time Montana Brown's views have attracted criticism. Last year, she was widely blasted for a TikTok video in which she made sweeping claims about schools during her search for a place for Jude.
She stated she did not want him "looking at a screen at all" at school, criticising the use of Chromebooks for homework. "I'd rather him be outdoors, I'd rather him be playing sports," she said. She also took aim at school nutrition, asking, "Why are we giving them biscuits at break times? Why are we giving them yum yums? Why are we giving them donuts?"
Followers were quick to label her comments as hypocritical, given her career as an influencer. One pointedly remarked, "You're an influencer ranting about screens on a screen," while another added, "Imagine hating screens that much when the majority of your income comes from screens."
In other personal news, Montana recently opened up about the challenging home birth of her daughter Miley, who was in a breech position. Despite NHS midwives advising a hospital birth, she opted to stay at home with the support of a private doula and described the experience as "magical," though she admitted to nerves when her waters broke.
