Why too many young men love Andrew Tate – and why we need to understand that, not dismiss it

‘Andrew Tate’s views may appeal to teenagers, but he is currently detained, awaiting trial for rape and human trafficking.’ Tate arrives in court to attend his appeal in Bucharest, Romania, 1 February 2023. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

I have a teenage cousin who loves Andrew Tate. This became an issue recently when he posted one of his videos in the family WhatsApp group and I was dispatched by my mum to “have a chat” with him. I think I was supposed to tell him off, but to be honest – I understand why he is drawn to Tate. My cousin is a good kid who’s working hard to better himself, just as I was at his age.

On the surface, Tate preaches hard work, determination and “no excuses”: values my cousin probably sees as parallel to the philosophy of our Nigerian immigrant family. “He’s funny,” my cousin said, when I asked him why he watches Tate’s videos. “And his view of success is very binary – either you want it or you don’t.”