An eye-opening documentary exploring the global spread of the manosphere is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer and the BBC World Service YouTube channel. Titled Manosphere Messiahs, the special investigates the rise of online networks promoting harmful stereotypes about masculinity and men's issues.
Inside the Investigation
BBC reporter Jacqui Wakefield spent a year examining the phenomenon, focusing on two prominent figures: El Temach in Mexico and Andrew Kibe in Kenya, who command millions of followers. The documentary also gives voice to women who have suffered real-world consequences from their influence.
One woman, Fernanda, a medical professional from Mexico, described how her former partner—a devoted follower of El Temach—subjected her to physical aggression and control. She said, 'He forced me to watch videos from El Temach ... the only option I had to survive was to be there listening to those videos. And he told me, "See? I'm not doing anything wrong. You're the one who's wrong." '
Algorithmic Amplification
Young male followers of Kibe and El Temach allowed the BBC to access their social media histories, revealing how algorithms can direct users toward increasingly polarising content. Wakefield noted, 'Gaining access to young men's social media accounts allowed me to see how quickly their feeds were dominated by this type of content: what appears to begin as self-development advice rapidly leaps into harmful misogynistic quick fixes.'
The documentary traces the manosphere's evolution from Western influencers like Andrew Tate to copycats across Africa and Latin America, who attract huge audiences and substantial revenue. 'It started in the West with influencers like Andrew Tate. Now the Manosphere has gone global,' the BBC teases.
Manosphere Messiahs is available now on BBC iPlayer.
