"I fear for the youngsters now": Danny Dyer reacts to learning his 9-year-old son is a fan of Andrew Tate

Danny Dyer expressed his apprehension about his nine-year-old son, Arty, being a fan of social media influencer, Andrew Tate. In his new two-part documentary series titled Danny Dyer: How To Be A Man, the former EastEnders actor said:

"My little boy, he’s 9, he’s really smart, but the other day his mum [Joanne Mas] said to me, “You know he likes Andrew Tate,” and I went, “What?”"

For the unversed, Andrew Tate was arrested in December 2022 on charges of human trafficking, assault, and organized crime.

Danny also raised concerns about youngsters in his Channel 4 documentary which premiered on April 16, 2024.

"I fear for the youngsters now, it’s a dangerous time. It's integrating into young boys' souls. And that's all they need, because it's a tough time to be a boy," Dyer said.

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Danny Dyer recalled a worrying conversation with his son about Andrew Tate

Dyer delved into themes of toxic masculinity, men's mental health, social media, and influential personalities like Andrew Tate in his new documentary Danny Dyer: How To Be A Man.

Dyer mentioned that when he asked his son Arty about Tate, he called the controversial influencer "a top G". Danny Dyer explained his take on Tate, claiming that his "loud-mouthed, anti-feminist rants" saw a flock of followers gravitate towards him worldwide.

The English presenter claimed:

"If there wasn't social media, there would be no Andrew Tate."

Dyer continued:

“I remember back in the day, I think Andrew Tate tried to be on Big Brother. So he was looking for fame, and that was his only avenue in. Now he's the most Googled man on the planet apparently, there's disciples, there's other little youngsters going ‘I like what he's doing, I'm going to do the same thing’."

Dyer also aired his fears about the damage Tate's content could do to impressionable young boys who watch his videos, saying that the latter's brand of "toxic alpha" energy promised teenagers empowerment to make them feel good about themselves.

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Danny Dyer interviewed TikTok influencer and Tate's "disciple" Ed Matthews in the documentary

Dyer also spoke to Ed Matthews, a controversial TikTok influencer whom he dubbed Tate's disciple. The conversation was seemingly filled with misogynistic remarks as Matthews opined that men have become "oppressed".

Dyer, for his part, remained neutral as he let Matthews speak, but after the interview, he said:

“Some of the s**t he’s saying, I don’t think he believes half of it really. He wants followers. You’ve got to be slightly controversial for people to pay attention to you.”

Danny Dyer: How To Be A Man aimed to answer the question of whether there was a "war on masculinity" that saw a sudden surge in alpha male podcasts. The documentary series also shed light on Dyer's upbringing and his relationship with masculinity, as highlighted in a poignant moment he shared with his brother, Tony.

Dyer also talked about how being a man in the current generation was vastly different from previous times due to technological development, stating that masculine attitudes were fluid. On the Channel 4 website, the two-part documentary is summarised with the blurb:

"With traditional gender roles a thing of the past, what does it mean to be a man in modern-day Britain? Danny Dyer explores modern masculinity, men's mental health and male identity."

Danny Dyer: How To Be A Man is now available for streaming on the Channel 4 website.