A British YouTuber known as Lord Miles has been detained in Saudi Arabia during his 40-day fasting challenge, and his team has confirmed the death of a kitten he had rescued before his arrest.
Miles Routledge, known online as Lord Miles, gained viral attention for traveling to dangerous regions and broadcasting survival challenges. His most recent stunt involved fasting alone in a desert in Saudi Arabia, during which his streams abruptly stopped for nearly two weeks, sparking speculation about his well-being.
Rumors spread that Routledge had died after falling into a coma during the challenge, leading to chaos on the crypto betting platform Polymarket, where users had been wagering on whether he would complete the fast. The odds on his success dropped sharply as speculation intensified.
A statement shared to his X account later claimed that he was “detained by Saudi intelligence on false charges from an American who has created several fake reports through a bribed, corrupt journalist in order to make money on Polymarket.”
The post alleged he was being held “to investigate potential terrorist ties.”
There was initially speculation that the story of the arrest was fake, but Lord Miles’ X account provided an image of a letter from the British Embassy in Riyadh, dated October 5.
YouTuber Coffeezilla contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in the UK, who provided the following statement:
“We are supporting a British man detained in Saudi Arabia and are in touch with the local authorities.”
Lord Miles’ rescued kitten dies
A kitten Routledge had rescued during the trip died while in the care of others following his arrest. The animal had featured in multiple clips before his disappearance, becoming part of the online community that followed the challenge.
Millions of dollars had traded on Polymarket, with a total final volume of $14.3 million. Trading has now ceased, with the Final Outcome of “No” (he won’t complete the fast) decided on September 29.
At the time of writing, Saudi authorities have not issued any official statements regarding his detention.
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