IMHO the shilling is not that much different from any major YouTuber. They hit the talking points that grant them views, because the views = money.
This new vArIaNt will render him plenty of those, in the coming weeks, also if he tapdances for the Media outlets he's invited onto, new subscribers.
Is it that much different from 'based and red pilled' youtubers or nationalists seizing on a horror story, and spinning it as "omg look at the degeneracy shown here!", for views etc?
That said, if you wanted to be cynical, he has won a status in the UK normie mind as a 'trusted voice', maybe his recent veering off road is his way of 'proving his impartiality', to then take his viewers back to 'sensible ground' later on (eg in the coming weeks).
Fact is the state knows very well how a few well placed trusted voices can sway agendas and public mood. I wouldnt rule it out that he was briefed way back in 2019, and fulfilling a role. Maybe they saw him on YouTube doing his thing, putting out videos for Nursing Students (as was his pre covid fayre), liked what they saw and put out some feelers.
My view is that GCHQ play these things very sensibly. I dont think they directly place people very often at all, more just select from shortlists of candidates, maybe very subtly establish a contact / handler and then waft them up, and steer them.
Maybe he really is a Mason. I just find the whole 'purple shirt' thing a bit daft. A lot of people have purple scarfs or shirts. I wear a lot of bottle and olive greens, cos i like the colour and think it suits me. If either of them transpired to be 'masonic tells', and i'd been a YouTuber, then no doubt people would be angrily jabbing their screens on account of it.