Police investigate Youtuber Ranveer Allahbadia after he makes controversial comment on TV - who is internet star?

Youtuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made a “controversial joke” during the India’s Got Latent show, the Indian version of Britain’s Got Talent, which is hosted by another popular YouTuber Samay Raina.

31-year-old Allahbadia, known for his Youtube channel BeerBiceps which focuses on fitness, cooking and self-development, made a shocking comment during a recent episode of the show. He was a guest recently alongside other popular content creators Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Mukhija.

It was during his appearance on the show that the social media influencer asked a contestant ‘would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?’

A video of the incident went viral and social media users slammed Allahbadia for what he said. Multiple police complaints were also filed against him because of his comment.

Dikshit Gedam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 9, Mumbai police, confirmed “an inquiry is going on (in the matter)”, as reported by local publication Indian Express.

According to the publication, two Mumbai lawyers, Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra were among those who submitted a written complaint to the Mumbai police. They claimed obscene comments were made against parents, women, and their body parts.

“Police should register an FIR (First Information Report) against the organiser, the online platform, the artists, and others concerned and thoroughly investigate the matter,” advocate Rai said.

Police are looking in to the matter, but have not registered an FIR yet. This is a document prepared by police organisations in some countries when the police receive information about an alleged criminal offence.

Allahbadia has taken to X to apologise for his comment and said in a video "comedy is not my forte" and that what he said “wasn't cool". The 31-year-old said in the caption alongside the video: "I shouldn't have said what I said on India's got latent. I'm sorry."

In the video message, he said: "My comment wasn't just inappropriate, it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry."

The social media star also said he had been asked multiple times if he planned to use his platform in this way. "Obviously this is not how I wish to use it. I am not going to give any context or justification or reasoning behind whatever happened. I am just here for an apology. I personally had a lapse in judgement. It wasn't cool on my part," he said.

"The podcast is watched by people of all ages, I don't want to be the kind of person that takes that responsibility lightly and family is the last thing I would ever disrespect," he added.

The influencer went on to say that he has realised he needs to use his platform better. "I promise to just get better. I have asked the makers of the video to remove the insensitive sections from the video and all I can say in the end is I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me as a human being," he said.

Allahbadia is a leading figure in digital content creation in India. On his official website, he describes himself as an entrepreneur, dreamer and a podcaster. The website further reads: “Once an average engineering student, he’s now the heart and soul of BeerBiceps, captivating over 12 million followers across seven YouTube channels.”

The star has launched three successful start-ups, including a fitness app, alongside his Youtube franchise. The popular Youtube channel also led to the launch of a podcast, The Ranveer Show, in 2019. Notable guests have included Jay Shetty, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Priyanka Chopra.

He has won various awards prevously, including Cosmpolitan’s Best Fashion Influencer of the Year 2019 and Impact 30 Under 30 from the Exchange4MediaGroup in 2020. His net worth is estimated to be around Rs 58 crore (around £5,000,000).