YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, widely known as BeerBiceps, has found himself at the center of a massive online controversy following his appearance on comedian Samay Raina’s comedy show, India’s Got Latent. His remarks on the show, particularly an explicit question that referenced "parents" and "sex," sparked a wave of outrage across social media platforms. The backlash has not only resulted in severe criticism but has also led to a sharp decline in Allahbadia’s subscriber base and social media following. Meanwhile, Samay Raina, despite being involved in the controversy, appears to have gained from the situation, with his online presence growing significantly in the past few days.
The controversy erupted when the episode aired on February 9, and a clip from it quickly went viral the following day. What followed was widespread condemnation of the content, with several users calling for a boycott of both Allahbadia and Raina. The matter escalated further when police complaints were filed against them, leading to FIRs and summons being issued. While both have faced legal scrutiny and public outrage, an analysis of their YouTube and Instagram metrics suggests that their fanbase remains divided, with some continuing to support them despite the backlash.
According to data from the analytics platform Social Blade, Allahbadia's YouTube channels—BeerBiceps and RanveerAllahbadia—have suffered heavy losses in terms of both subscribers and views. Between February 10 and February 12, BeerBiceps lost approximately 90,000 subscribers, while RanveerAllahbadia saw an even larger decline of around 1 lakh subscribers. The decline in video views has been even more significant, with BeerBiceps experiencing a reduction of 2.1 crore views on February 10 alone. Meanwhile, RanveerAllahbadia lost over 12.2 crore views across February 11 and 12, suggesting that certain videos may have been removed in response to the growing outrage.
His Instagram following has also taken a hit. BeerBiceps lost 42,800 followers between February 10 and 11, while the RanveerAllahbadia account lost 35,700 followers over three days, reflecting the extent of the public backlash.
On the other hand, Samay Raina seems to have benefited from the controversy in an unexpected way. Despite deleting all episodes of India’s Got Latent from his YouTube channel on February 12—resulting in an estimated loss of 43.3 crore views—his follower count has surged. His YouTube channel, SamayRainaOfficial, gained 80,000 new subscribers on February 10, followed by 30,000 on February 11 and another 20,000 on February 12. Prior to the controversy, his channel was growing at a much slower rate, adding only 10,000–20,000 subscribers per day.
Similarly, Raina's Instagram following has seen a rapid increase. Over a three-day period starting February 10, he gained more than 89,000 followers. By the afternoon of February 13, his follower count had risen dramatically by 1.34 lakh, as per Social Blade data.
The controversy has also taken over Indian social media, with X (formerly Twitter) flooded with discussions surrounding the incident. Hashtags such as #BanIndiasGotLatent, #BanBeerBiceps, #BoycottBeerBicepsGuy, #StopVulgarCulture, #UnsubscribeRanveerAllahbadia, #UnsubscribeSamayRaina, #ReportRanveerAllahbadia, and #ReportSamayRaina have been trending, with users calling for strict action against both Allahbadia and Raina. Nearly 20,000 tweets have been posted explicitly opposing the two YouTubers in the past four days alone.
Despite the widespread backlash, a smaller but vocal section of users has come forward in support of Allahbadia and Raina, defending their right to free speech. Hashtags such as #SupportSamayRaina, #StandWithSamayRaina, #ISupportSamayRaina, #JusticeForSamayRaina, #ComedyIsNotACrime, and #LetComediansSpeak have been circulating, though their traction has been relatively limited, with only about 850 posts using these hashtags.
Interestingly, the controversy has also sparked a significant volume of neutral discussions, with hashtags such as #IndiasGotLatent, #SamayRaina, #BeerBiceps, #RanveerAllahbadiaControversy, #ApoorvaMakhija, and #SamayRainaDarkComedy generating more than 7 lakh tweets. These posts have collectively received over 87 lakh reposts, likes, and replies, reflecting the widespread interest in the matter across different sections of the internet.
As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how both Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina navigate the fallout from this controversy. While Allahbadia has faced significant losses in his digital presence, Raina's growing subscriber and follower count indicate that the controversy may have paradoxically boosted his reach. The legal ramifications of the case, coupled with the ongoing public discourse, will likely play a crucial role in determining their future in the digital content space.
