Shabaz Ali, a former chemistry teacher from Blackburn known online as "King of the Povvos", has built a following of more than four million on TikTok by satirising wealthy influencers who flaunt their lifestyles, and is now bringing that critique to the BBC. His channel began during lockdown as a mocking response to displays of privilege, such as "designer ice cubes", and has grown into what he calls a wider movement against wealth inequality and unrealistic online standards. The shift matters because it reflects a broader public backlash against the polished, aspirational content long associated with figures like the Kardashians.

Ali, 32, argues that audiences are increasingly tired of "airbrushed" wealth content and crave something "raw, authentic and unfiltered", pointing to figures such as US socialite Becca Bloom as emblematic of the disconnect between influencers and followers. Drawing on his teaching background, he warns that wealth influencers and figures like Andrew Tate exploit young people's disillusionment, noting there are only 3,400 billionaires among a global population of 8.3 billion. His new BBC documentary, Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad?, extends this critique by examining extreme wealth and its real-world consequences.