Andrew Tate: Why we made BBC Newsbeat's debate on the influencer

As part of a special radio programme, BBC Newsbeat listeners with a range of opinions were brought together to talk about Andrew Tate.

The controversial influencer has recently been charged in Romania with offences including rape and human trafficking.

Newsbeat presenter Pria Rai explains how the debate came about and why it was important to have it with the audience.

When we first spoke about Andrew Tate being arrested six months ago our radio newsroom was flooded with reaction.

And it's the same every time he's mentioned in news stories on air.

Some tell us the controversial influencer "speaks a lot of truth", while others say the way he thinks "is terrifying".

As one of Newsbeat's presenters I look at the messages that come in after every programme.

When I saw the conversation that was happening about him off air, I wanted to find a way to allow it to happen on air.

There was a recurring theme of people on both sides of the argument feeling like they can't talk honestly about it, or thinking the discussion always gets toxic.

When it comes to the beliefs Andrew Tate says he has and how they divide opinion, that's inevitable - but listening to our audience is key. It's their world we are reflecting and informing.

So we called back people who had been texting us and spoke to them in depth about their opinions on him.

• You can listen to Newsbeat's Andrew Tate special programme on BBC Sounds.
• And click here for a behind the scenes look at how we made the debate happen.

Over a few months, while also keeping an eye on how Andrew Tate's case in Romania was moving, we worked to get people with differing opinions to come into the Newsbeat studio and discuss what they think.

That meant when it came to recording it they could challenge each other, rather than me always jumping in and not allowing them to have the voice that the media is often criticised for shutting down.

A good example is when a comment was made about what Andrew Tate has said about rape victims.

My natural instinct as a journalist is to challenge people on things like this, like I would on any claim.

But it was important for that reaction to come from another member of the panel, allowing it to be reflective of conversations that are happening outside our studio.

That doesn't mean we didn't jump in at all - it was my job to host the conversation but we paused at various points to get some analysis on comments that were made.

The reason I think this programme is so important is because when something - or someone - has so much online influence, it has an impact offline in attitudes and how people are treated.

We heard examples of that... Lucia feeling like she can't be as vocal as a woman in her uni classes, or Declan saying that listening to Andrew Tate helped with his depression.

We also keep an eye on the data - pretty much every time the BBC publishes an article about Andrew Tate, it's way more popular with people under 35 than other stories.

These are the very people who make up our Newsbeat audience and want to hear something thoughtful and nuanced on him.

We have a duty to be editorially sound and a duty of care - both of which were checked and checked again at each point in the process.

In a world of opinions, it's not for us to have one, but that doesn't mean we can't find ways to hear them about things as controversial as Andrew Tate in a controlled and authentic way.

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