She urges them to be kinder following advice error live on This Morning
The founder and CEO of brokerage The Mortgage Mum has questioned why some professionals in the industry chose to negatively take advantage of her misfortune when she mistakenly gave inaccurate advice to viewers live on ITV’s daytime show This Morning. Sarah Tucker (pictured) has urged her detractors to embrace kindness instead.
Tucker made her error on Friday, during her regular slot on the programme, which has helped raise her profile as one of the most recognisable experts in the mortgage industry – so much so, that she was recently invited to Downing Street, for headline-grabbing meetings with the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
As such, Tucker is a familiar and trusted voice within the profession. She has made The Mortgage Mum a huge success as a female-led brokerage and won multiple industry awards. But, in a heartfelt post on LinkedIn, alongside an uncharacteristically sombre-looking picture of her in sunglasses (above), she explained that mistakes happen. “It’s OK to make mistakes,” she said. “You’re human, you are learning all the time, and you’re growing, which means - and I hate to break it to you - you’re going to make more of them. I did this week, on live TV. In trying to get a lot of information across, I caused a bit of confusion when it comes to shared ownership versus 100% mortgages.”
On her This Morning appearance, Tucker told viewers that borrowers generally need a deposit for shared ownership - but she later clarified there are 100% shared ownership schemes, although rarer. In her haste to wrap up the answer, she explained, she didn’t translate this information well enough, and has been giving herself a hard time about it since. She suggested it was the pressure of live TV.
One critic, Darryl Dhoffer, known as The Mortgage Geezer, took to LinkedIn afterwards to suggest that Tucker had communicated ‘mortgage myths’ on national television. “Here we are, trying to help people on to the property ladder through schemes like shared ownership, and then a supposed authority figure on national TV waves a dismissive hand and erases a very real option from the collective consciousness,” he wrote.
Tucker called out the response of some in her profession who responded negatively, to highlight her error. “Other advisers decided to lean into that mistake and point their finger,” she shared, “Now, absolutely correct me - I’m here for that. We all know in this role you’re learning all the time, and it’s my job to give the best information to help people. But don’t bash me, you’re not in my shoes. It’s all too easy to judge, without knowing the full story, and there is a way to communicate that is respectful and kind, instead of advantageous and negative.”
Tucker has told her LinkedIn followers that she always finds it enlightening to see how some people choose to criticise with negativity and judgment, instead of showing compassion or kindness, but reasoned that it says more about them than her.
She took the time to praise the positivity of those who are supportive in the profession. “This industry is amazing at lifting each other, if you focus on the right people,” she said. “But for those that chose a different path, I want you to just pause and ask yourself ‘Why?’. Why did you feel you needed to bring someone down so you can elevate yourself up? In this world we’re taught we have to climb over one another to get to where we want to. We don’t. So let’s lean into kindness and collaboration, and accept that we’re all human, mistakes and all.”
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Supporters come to Tucker’s defence
Tucker’s supporters have come out in force in response to her LinkedIn post, to whole-heartedly back her. Nicola McKenzie, co-founder of The Dunham McCarthy Group told her: “Ignore the haters. I completely understand that the pressure of live TV makes you say things that aren't always as you want it.”
Rachael Hunnisett, director of mortgage distribution at April Mortgages, commented: “It takes a huge amount of bravery to step out on TV, and talk generically about a highly regulated industry when everyone’s circumstances are so different.” She added: “Mistakes happen, owning them with grace while continuing to elevate is what gains respect, shows incredible leadership and humility.”
Meanwhile Sonya Matharu, founder of The Mortgage Atelier, wrote: “Sometimes the harshest critics are simply those who wish they had the courage to do what you’ve done. Hold your head high, you are amazing and represent our industry beautifully.”
And Andrew Montlake, CEO of Coreco, supported Tucker too, saying: “It's not so easy in a small, pressurised timescale, and you represent brokers and the importance of advice well. We all learn, and we all make mistakes. We are all human. It's about being authentic, which you are and have always been since I first met you. Those who know, know.”
