Andrew Tate news – latest: Influencer loses appeal over police detention for 30 more days

We’re pausing our live coverage of Andrew Tate, but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.

Andrew Tate is a role model who fits the mould of a “hero”, one of his fans has said.

Enys Kelmeni, a 19-year-old boxer from east London, said Mr Tate has had a big impact on his life because of his masculinity.

“Kids have always looked up to a masculine role model, like a hero, and Tate fits that category, “ he told The Times.

“Of all the celebrities, Tate has had the most influence on our lives because he’s the most masculine.”

He added: “I am a big fan. I admire his intelligence; I admire his confidence.”

Try to ignore it all we like, but young men across the world are being seduced by the misogynist, conspiratorial teachings of influencers, writes Matthew Neale. Is early compassion the way to stop it?

Read Matthew’s full piece here:

For those joining us on the blog who are still unaware of who exactly Andrew Tate is, my colleagues on The Independent’s lifestyle desk have put together this explainer:

Romanian authorities have seized luxury cars from the compound of influencer Andrew Tate, who remains in custody on rape and trafficking charges.

Anti-organised-crime prosecutors detained Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects on 29 December on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit six women. They have denied any wrongdoing.

My colleague Joe Middleton reports:

Without urgent intervention we may end up with a lost generation of young men, writes Sufyan Ahmed.

Read Sufyan’s full piece here:

Andrew Tate fans reportedly took to the streets in Athens over the weekend despite the influencer being arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and rape.

The Greek City Times reported that a large group of young men - most of whom look like teenagers - walked through the streets of the capital calling for the online influencer to be released.

Earlier this week a teacher told The Independent that his school was having to hold special assemblies to counteract Mr Tate’s “misogynistic” views.

Mr Tate and his brother Tristian, who was also arrested, deny any wrongdoing.

Andrew Tate’s home in Bucharest is “extremely luxurious” and built into “flats”, a man who lives nearby has said.

Beldica Trandafir lives in a housing block beside the main gate to Mr Tate’s villa and was asked to carry out some work there.

"The guy in charge of the construction asked me to work on the electrics, but when they explained what they wanted, I told them it was way beyond what I knew how to do," Mr Trandafir explained to the BBC.

He said the house has "all the amenities you can think of".

"It’s extremely luxurious," he added. "It’s divided into flats, [and] they could afford to build a swimming pool - things that people like us couldn’t even dare to dream of."

Andrew Tate’s bodyguard has claimed that his boss believed “somebody wanted to hurt him”.

In an interview with BBC, Bogdan Stancu said Tate’s behaviour was “something similar” to paranoia but the far right influencer did not know where the threat was coming from.

My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar has the full report:

Andrew Tate is “a bit paranoid” and believes that someone wants to “hurt him”, his head of security has said.

Bodyguard Bogdan Stancu, a former police intelligence officer, defended his boss, saying young women who went to Mr Tate’s house “misunderstood the reality” and thought they would be the influencer’s “next wife”.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, Mr Stancu also said “I never doubt Andrew”.