I was gutted this morning to hear one of my favourite YouTubers that I follow has been arrested in Russia. For years I’ve watched him travel the world, mainly in the USSR speaking fluent Russian, drinking with locals and looking for trouble and proving people aren’t as bad as people think. Watched him recently just get out of Kyiv too.

https://youtu.be/hzBxFH_hEwA

BBC News – UK YouTuber Benjamin Rich held at Russian space centre

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61365446

I hope he’s safe and gets released quickly but I fear he will become a political pawn.

Anyone else on here follow him?

This video is from happier times

Yes I watch his videos and find them fascinating.
I heard he’d been arrested this morning and TBH I’m surprised it’s not happened before.

No matter how much money I was making out of my Youtube channel I wouldn’t have gone to Russia since the start of the war (or even a month before). The man is a liability to his nation.

The man is a liability to his nation.

@Edukator, Why? Is there a travel ban for the UK to travel to Russia?

Why shouldn’t he travel to Russia and speak to Russians and find out what they think?

Let’s face it, that’s why he’s been arrested, putin doesn’t want journalists in his country telling the world what Russians think of him and his special operation.

So by your definition, are all journalists a liability to their nations?

If that’s what you think I hope out of principle, you don’t watch or read the news.

I have a Youtube channel but I am not an accredited journalist.

Not all journalists are a liability to their nations, he is.

Why shouldn’t he travel to Russia and speak to Russians and find out what they think?

Because he was obviously going to get arrested and provide a diplomatic headache for the foreign office.

Journalist or selfish attention seeker seeking to profit from the war?

Edit:

So by your definition, are all journalists a liability to their nations?

This kind of passive agressive, putting words in people’s mouths, straw man weasly use of words to attack my position is low, low, low low.

I’m giving an opinion as you are, no need to fight dirty.

Bad news, and I hope they are free soon.

I too find the channel fascinating. His ability to connect with people sand bring out cheerfulness is amazing.

Good.

The guy is a predator and sex tourist. Been charged with rape in the UK and boasts about picking up girls in third world countries.

He’s active on pick up forums where he talks of getting girls to give him a bj.

He is so far removed from being a journalist. He’s an opportunist who preys on others naivity and/or good nature.

I hesitated to use the first word in Alpin’s post but support his use of it.

German newspapers are reporting that He’s said that he was only interviewed, not arrested and was released with a fine.

@aplin, that’s my understanding of this guy also.

The Foreign Office advises against going there.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia

@alpin, have you just ruined my channel? I only watch his videos, I don’t follow him or What he does outside of the channel. If that’s true then that puts a different spin on things.

So by your definition, are all journalists a liability to their nations?

This kind of passive agressive, putting words in people’s mouths, straw man weasly use of words to attack my position is low, low, low low.

I’m giving an opinion as you are, no need to fight dirty.

@Edukator I love a flounce first thing in a morning 5 posts in!, 😂

Thought it was Kazakhstan, not Russia? Admittedly pretty much the same thing

I’m still here, no flouce. Quite pleased with my work here so far this morning. It’s easy when one is on the side of right and good.

You enjoy watching the guy being a creep around any women he finds attractive?

In fairness, and for balance, Benjamin Rich-Swift was arrested and went to trial with two other men for a rape, but at the end of the trial, the Judge, whist noting the men should be throughly ashamed of themselves, directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict and the prosecution offered no evidence. This was over 20 years ago.

A reminder, the latest data suggests successful outcomes to reports of rapes is about 1.9 %.

+1 for Alpin.

I happened upon one of his YT vids, was interesting, watched a few more that had women in them and did a Google. Decided that there’s plenty of other stuff on YT for me to not give him anymore time.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4274015-Bald-Bankrupt-Benjamin-Rich-Swift-pick-up-artist-sex-tourist-sexual-predator-content-linked-trigger-warning

There’s a whole reddit forum dedicated to this guys antics.

Oh eh, I knew none of that. ;(

@Edukator, Why? Is there a travel ban for the UK to travel to Russia?

This wins quote of the day/week/month/year/ etc

Open your eyes matey !

Bugger, I didn’t know the back story. I’d recently discovered him and found his peek behind the curtain of ex Soviet backwaters interesting and entertaining.  May have to revaluate based on this.

This wins quote of the day/week/month/year/ etc

Open your eyes matey !

There’s no travel ban. There’s an advisery not to travel. That’s different.

America is usually at war with someone somewhere in the world but that wouldn’t stop you travelling to the USA.

But I get your point, I wouldn’t go to Russia either but then being a traveller and blogger etc isn’t my source of income.

You’re the only one talking about about a travel ban, Damascus, another red herring from you. irc linked the foreign office advice.

Renault had invested millions/billions in Russia and have abandoned the lot, they did the right thing. You’re inventing excuses for your hero rather than damning him for what he is and does.

Open your eyes, we’ve demonstrated you’re on the wrong side, all that’s left to you now is to reevalute your position as others have done.

As for your comparison with America (I assume you mean the USA), there is no foreign office warning about travelling there, they are generally on the same side as the UK and not in the habit of demanding drug traffickers for tourists.

Shall we just hang him now as it seems he doesn’t need a trial. Although the trial he did have cleared him but let’s not let that get in the way of a good public hanging.

Why don’t we just wait to see what happens.  Innocent until proven guilty and all that.  That refers to both his current situation and the gospel that is mum’s net.

It’s easy when one is on the side of right and good.

If he does get out of Russia, I’m sure you will be waiting at the airport with your pitch fork wearing a red Cape.

He’s not my hero but he does bring me a bit of joy when I watch his videos. I hope you too can find some joy in your life.

If he does get out of Russia, I’m sure you will be waiting at the airport with your pitch fork wearing a red Cape.

I won’t.

Please replace “hero” with ” one of your favourite YouTubers that you follow” in my last post.

I find lots of joy in life, unfortunately you can’t hear the joyful country music I’ve been strumming and picking while posting and will leave you now as there are two mouuntain bikes all lubed up and tyres inflated ready to roll and the sun’s coming out.

Was fascinated by Benjamin when I first came across his videos. But began to feel quite uncomfortable with something about his manner. Not surprised to see that mumsnet thread.

Never heard of the guy so did a quick search. It doesn’t take long to find a lot of posts about past behaviours, the rape allegation and ties to far right groups. If even a quarter of it is true then he appears to be a deeply unpleasant individual and a complete ****.

gospel that is mum’s net.

Is Bald & Bankrupt really a sex tourist and a prolific pick up artist? from BaldAndBaldrDossier

That ^ pours enough doubt on the person for me to go watch Youtube clips of cute kittens and elephants farting instead.

Innocent until proven guilty and all that.

Even setting aside all that stuff its difficult to have much sympathy. He must have known he was taking a big risk fishing around a Russian-controlled facility at the present time… but went ahead anyway? As mentioned it’s now an unwanted headache for the FCO and he could find himself a pawn in a much bigger game..

Love bald and bankrupt. I’m surprised he’s not come a cropper before to be honest. Especially that video where he’s snooping around a Bolivian narco farm.

And yeah, he’s blatantly there for the attention/content for the channel so he obviously knew what he was getting into. It’s a calculated risk I guess. But still hope it comes good.

He’s there for the cash.

Estimated net worth of £3-4m, earning possibly iro £800k pa.

Pre the invasion, he was probably wealthy enough to bribe his way out of trouble, what with speaking fluent Russian. I suspect being alleged to be a “spy” in the present climate, all the money in the world might not help you.

https://www.networthspot.com/bald-and-bankrupt/net-worth/

How do these Youtubers make their money?

Any videos of his I have watched, don’t have any adverts. So where does the revenue come from?

Youtube will pay Youtubers every time someone watches a video, once they have 1000 subscribers. Its why there’s so much rubbish on Youtube – anyone can get paid

With Youtube, once you’re on the payroll a million views translates to roughly £20,000 in revenue.

It can vary of course depending on what kind of content and what the almighty algorithm thinks of it but it works a a basic yardstick yardstick and based on that this chap is bringing some serious cash.

He may be bald, but he sure as hell ain’t bankrupt anymore.

£60 fine, no pudding and told to bugger off.

But the vlogger, known for his travel channel Bald and Bankrupt, said in an Instagram post on Sunday: “Basically I was questioned by Russian police for a few hours for going to see the Buran rocket without the special permission and given a £60 administrative fine just like hundreds of foreign adventurers before me.”

Use the YouTube income calculator to get an idea of income generated from views/engagement

calculator here

He gets around £160k year

I struggle with long sentences.

This is a good video though.

That ^ pours enough doubt on the person for me to go watch Youtube clips of cute kittens

B&B has one of cute kitten. Along with his girlfriend they smuggled a destitute kitten out of Cuba.

I understand B&B isn’t everybody’s preferred YouTuber due to his past behaviour but I’ve just watched his latest series and it is really very good. It follows the path taken by Venezuelans (and others) as they attempt to travel to the USofA from South America. The final part of the trilogy is probably the best of the 3.

Big difference between having a YouTube channel and being a journalist. Real journalists are getting locked up in Russia.
https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-court-extends-pre-trial-detention-wsj-reporter-gershkovich-2023-11-28/
https://cpj.org/europe/russia/

Renault had invested millions/billions in Russia and have abandoned the lot

They have a five year call option for EUR 1 (or something), so they might get the factory back…but I doubt it.

he’s blantantly still at it. Once a sexpat, always a sexpat. He’s spent a chunk of the summer in Budapest partying with porn producers and featuring in a few of their films