QAnon, coronavirus and the conspiracy cult

A bizarre conspiracy theory has surged in popularity in the US since the pandemic, according to exclusive research seen by the BBC.

QAnon and its believers say that Donald Trump is here to save the world from an evil cabal of paedophiles and it’s had a surprising level of interest around the world from Brazil to Germany, the UK and Indonesia.

And this week Twitter announced it would delete 7,000 QAnon-related accounts, saying it hoped the action would help to prevent "offline harm".

BBC Population Correspondent Stephanie Hegarty has spoken to QAnon followers and their families to find out why this cultish conspiracy has gained so much traction.

Produced by Emma Ailes

Edited by Emma Ailes & Robert Timothy

Animation by Peter Caires