I Am Andrew Tate documentary: Channel 4 release date of special - why were he and brother Tristan in prison?

Channel 4 documentary I Am Andrew Tate was commissioned in January 2023, a month after his arrest alongside his brother Tristan in Romania on several serious charges.

The 60-minute special explores the career of the American-British ex-kickboxer who has since become a chronically online posterboy for misogyny and toxic masculinity with so much influence that British teachers have taken classes on how to combat his views.

The influencer has 8.6 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, where he shares videos flaunting his wealth and luxury cars and spreading his archaic views on women, masculinity, and business success, as well as sharing transphobic memes and bullying 10 year olds. I Am Andrew Tate follows his rapid rise, arrest, and its fallout as he still awaits trial on criminal charges.

Why was Andrew Tate in prison?

Andrew and Tristan Tate, and two women were arrested in Romania in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group - they deny all of the charges. A Romanian court ruled that the brothers should remain in custody for 30 days, but this was extended, though Tate continued to post on social media through his time in prison. 

The pair were released into house arrest on March 31 2023, from which they were released on August 4. In total, the pair spent more than seven months in jail or under house arrest.

The brothers still have restrictions on their movement - they were placed under judicial control after being freed from house arrest - those restrictions have since been loosened but they are not allowed to leave Romania.

Andrew and Tristan both face a trial in Romania for their alleged crimes - Andrew is charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women, all of which he denies. The trial is not expected to begin for several years due to the complexity of the case.

What is I Am Andrew Tate about?

Channel 4 were granted full access by Tate for the documentary which will follow his career, from his early days as a kickboxer, to the growth of his porn career as he managed webcam models, and to his emergence as one of the most controversial users on social media.

He was banned from most social media platforms including TokTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - however Elon Musk later allowed his account back on the latter platform now known as X.

The documentary will also delve into the aftermath of Tate’s arrest, explore the allegations which he will eventually face in court, and will feature never before seen footage from the influencer’s life.

When is I Am Andrew Tate on Channel 4?

The documentary special will air on Channel 4 on Sunday January 7 at 9pm - it will be available to watch on Channel 4 online shortly after iit is first broadcast.