Social media influencer Andrew Tate has given Channel 4 “full access” to never-before-seen footage for a documentary chronicling his rise to fame, as well as unpicking the aftermath of his arrest in Romania. The former kickboxing world champion – who amassed millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok for his divisive content – is facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang along with his brother Tristan.
Both siblings will remain in detention until late February after a judge granted a request to extend their detention by 30 days for a second time. On Monday, Channel 4 announced it has commissioned a 60-minute documentary asking how the 36-year-old became so famous.
It will seek out figures from his personal life, gather “extensive footage” of him over the last decade and speak to his legions of supporters, the broadcaster said. It will be directed by Maggie Gaudin and executive-produced by Dan Reed, who directed the Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.
Reed said: “How Andrew Tate became the most viral influencer on the planet, and what forces and experiences shaped Tate the man – as opposed to the controversy-seeking media icon – is what we’re trying to find out. This sits at the sweet spot between a tabloid subject and an in-depth, highly-wrought documentary where Amos Pictures is at its strongest in its partnership with Channel 4.
“Tate has given us full access and we’re looking forward to carrying on filming if he gets out of jail in the coming weeks.”
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Commissioning editor Anna Miralis said: “As we await the outcome of the Romanian investigation there are so many questions that surround Andrew Tate, not least how he amassed infamy and fortune in a relatively short period of time, and why it is his anti-feminist agenda resonates so powerfully with his followers.”
Tate, who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech. He was reinstated to Twitter last month, and has 4.8m followers.
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