18 June 2026

A young man who was influenced by the "looksmaxxing" online influencer culture has told an S4C documentary he came close to harming himself with a hammer.

The influence of the manosphere on the attitudes of young men in Wales towards women, relationships and their own lives will be investigated by former Miss Wales Sara Manchipp in two special programmes on S4C. 

Sara Manchipp: I Mewn i’r Manosphere will be available from 18 June across S4C’s digital platforms, including S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube.

Among those featured in the programme is Abishek, a young man who speaks candidly about his mental health struggles. He describes how exposure to “looksmaxxing” – an online trend focused on maximising attractiveness – pushed him to the brink during a particularly difficult period:

“At the age of 14 I was standing at my bathroom mirror at 2am with a hammer in my hands having tears running down my face. I started thinking about everything and decided to lower the hammer…”

Abishek, is part of a group of young men calling themselves 'Men Tomorrow', alongside Josh Sargent and Chase Campbell who is the member of The Welsh Youth Parliament for Blaenau Gwent.  Chase says: 

"The problem in Wales can be quite unique, especially with the area I'm from in the Valleys - an area that's experienced really heavy economic deprivation over the past 40, 45 years now. I think the issues that drive men towards this toxic masculinity culture and issues that go on from that are exacerbated here. Like lack of social spaces, lack of role models, no kind of real career prospects - making people turn to more desperate places online." 

The series is presented by Sara Manchipp, former Miss Wales (2011), who also shares her own personal experiences of being stalked and receiving disturbing threats from a man who was later convicted of attempting to murder another individual.

Working in partnership with Swansea University, the programmes also reveal findings from a unique survey conducted jointly by S4C, Dr Andrew Thomas and Dr Joe Whittaker at Swansea University, and Colegau Cymru. The research provides a rare insight into how 16–20 year olds in Wales perceive one another, their experiences of online culture, and the potential impact of manosphere content on attitudes and wellbeing.

Now a mother to a four-year-old son, Sara reflects on the world her child will grow up in:

“Tomos, my son, is the light of my life. My experience with a stalker has made me much more worried about the world he’s going to grow up in. Where did he [the stalker] get the idea that the only way to get a woman’s attention is by frightening her? How many other men think the same way – and what can we do to stop it?”

Swansea University is home to world-leading researchers in the field of manosphere studies. A recent report focuses on incels - predominantly young men who often blame feminism for giving women greater autonomy in relationships and partner choice.

Researchers Dr Andrew Thomas and Dr Joe Whittaker carried out one of the largest studies of its kind, examining three key areas: understanding participants’ lived experiences and psychological profiles (including mental health and neurodiversity), analysing their responses to incel ideology, and exploring their patterns of online social interaction.

Dr Whittaker said:

“Angry young men who are unable to form relationships have always existed – that’s nothing new. Fifty years ago, however, it wasn’t easy to find others who shared extreme ideological views. What the internet has fundamentally changed is the ability to find and connect with those communities – and that is significant.”

To deepen understanding, the team launched a survey in collaboration with Swansea University experts and Colegau Cymru, the organisation representing further education colleges across Wales. This is the first study of its kind to examine the perspectives of both young men and women aged 16–20, addressing topics such as attitudes towards each other, online experiences, misogyny, exposure to pornography, and mental health, to explore potential links between these factors.

Chase Campbell also highlights the broader social context:

“Social clubs and youth community centres have lost funding – over a thousand have shut in the past 15 years but there’s been no effort to bring them back. The loss of these spaces is a major contributing factor to the rise in mental health issues we’re seeing today.”

Combining ground-breaking research with the lived experiences of young people across Wales, this compelling new series offers a powerful and timely insight into a phenomenon shaping lives in contemporary society.