Anthony Padilla is an influencer who uses his platform and widespread following in the hopes of educating and bringing awareness to a range of current issues with his hit YouTube series “I spent a day with…”, where he interviews individuals that are relevant to the discussions he talks about.

Padilla started making this form of content five years ago. The first video of his “I spent a day with…” series was titled: “I spent a day with FLAT EARTHERS” which launched his 100+ episode series and eventually led him to gain seven million subscribers. At the time, he was following a trend on YouTube where people poked fun at others when their opinions differed from the masses.

However, that video is also quite the stark contrast from his most recent video titled: “I was kidnapped and tortured in a dungeon – I spent a day with ALICIA KOZAK”. Since his first to most current videos, the audience can see the difference and maturation of Padilla’s interview series and interviewing methods while still retaining his wits and charisma. The recent episode was professionally made, and his style of interviewing has also changed from its original lighthearted fun to taking a more empathetic and attentive route to his guests.

When interviewed by The Washington Post, Padilla shared his mission statement for his interview series. “If I’m going to do more of these videos, I need to lean away from things that are trendy right now on YouTube: poking fun at people, cringe reaction humor-type stuff… I needed to lean into what actually excited me about having conversations with people.”

Padilla puts a lot of effort into every video he makes, no matter the topic of discussion. He has become the type of interviewer who listens and allows guests to open up at their own pace. When he does ask questions, they are profound and insightful rather than surface-level, which helps his audience understand a wide range of topics they may not have been interested in learning about beforehand.

Padilla uses his platform to bring light to various topics in hopes of sparking discussions and making a difference in the world. If you’re looking for something to binge-watch or a way to be informed on current events, watch the episodes from his interview series.