Controversial figure Andrew Tate remains in detention in Romania for alleged human trafficking and organised crime, losing his most recent appeal to authorities against his continued detention.
Despite remaining under investigation, his hoards of followers continue to spread messages of misogyny online with imitators popping up claiming to be the 36-year-old.
Tate's reach shouldn't be underestimated, as parents and teachers have raised concerns about young British boys parroting his rhetoric in real life.
While Tate presents himself as a-political, child safeguarding expert Michael Conroy told The Mirror this is not strictly true because "he has impact", which could end up swaying British politics.
A recent study by Hope Not Hate found that 74 per cent of males aged 18 to 24 had consumed some form of media to do with Tate, with almost half viewing him in a positive light.
Discover, learn, grow. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
This was a stark contrast to only nine per cent of women in the same age range who viewed him as a positive figure - this diminished even further in 16 to 17 year old girls. Concerningly, for 16 and 17-year-old boys, Andrew Tate was far more recognisable than prominent political figures in Britain.
Hope Not Hate found that only around half of boys had heard of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with opposition leader Keir Starmer trailing behind at 32 per cent.
Conroy, who founded Men At Work which supports young men, explained: "He's got influence. He can tip people's ways of interpreting phenomena in their lives either one way or another and that's really political. That's really powerful."
The safeguarding expert added: "Politics is also often a way of shoring up your own position and making material gain and in that sense, Tate has got rich through taxing the fear of boys.
"If he were to align with some candidates somewhere, that would bring a block of voters so he's a potential political force, whether he chooses to see himself that way or not."
Tate has amassed a following of young, impressionable boys who listen to his views and advice on how to get ahead in life. However, the British-American personality has been heavily criticised as a conspiracy theorist who champions misogynistic views and incites violence against women and girls.
Thanks to TikTok's algorithm and other "echo chambers" online, the more you engage with content the more that is churned out to you. This lead to a gap between what Conroy calls "kid's internet" and "adult internet", exacerbated by the fact many parents no longer check their kids' phones for fear of invading their privacy.
Despite working with children, the safeguarding expert did not hear of Tate until late in 2022 when the influencer already had gained notoriety online - Tate was then arrested in December that year.
The responsibility does not lie completely at Tate's door, however, as Conroy points to porn as a major factor in "desensitising" boys. He explained: "I don't know that many people really grasp exactly how ubiquitous it is, and how much of a formative force it is in young minds.
"So if you've been brought up understanding sex through the prism of porn. It desensitises men in terms of women and shows that they are the doer and the done to, subject and object, that has very powerful force on a child whose brain is nowhere near fully developed."
The safeguarding expert added: "I think not enough people are really making a connection with porn, it seems obvious to me, who are the foot soldiers? The boys that are under the influence of porn."
In his experience, creating a safe space for boys to express themselves is key to preventing them falling down "incel rabbit holes". Working with young boys, Conroy sees them as fearful of approaching girls and unable to form bonds because they are told they will be accused of harassment.
"I think Tate understands the emotional turmoil, frustration, or whatever that might be that is inculcated into some boys," Conroy explained, "It's a kind of therapy, he's saying to them 'your feelings that I know you've got, you can put them down because it's right that we do this' and to a young mind that's very appealing."
Conroy sees boys who feel "robbed" of the world they've been taught they should rule, even though that gender imbalance is outdated and impractical. Many of these young boys are about to reach voting age, bringing their unresolved emotional turmoil with them into adult spaces and influencing the sway of politics.
Although Tate is just one man, the Men At Work founder sees the issue as a wider societal one as the rhetoric has been "booby-trapped" against logic.
Instead of punishing these boys, which only digs them in deeper, he thinks the conversation should move away from Tate as a figure.
Conroy said: "Engage young men in conversations and develop their understanding of what is a risk or a protective factor for them. They [then] develop the sense of them being a risk or protective factor for others, including women and girls.
"I think that's the problem is that currently we're approaching it in a punitive style rather than a safeguarding protective factor style. Let's not walk into a conversation about Andrew Tate through an Andrew Tate shaped hole, because that dictates the terms of conversation.
"Let's talk openly and broadly about what keeps young men safe. It would be a political choice to talk about misogyny only.
"Actually, let's go upstream and talk about the values and beliefs of boys and young men - because that includes misogyny."
Do you have a story to share? We pay for stories. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
