KSI quits Sidemen collective after 13 years

Social media star and Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI has announced he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen after 13 years.

KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, has made football, comedy and challenge videos with the group – which has 23 million YouTube subscribers – since 2013.

His spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that he was leaving, after many of his followers voiced suspicions that it was a stunt.

“This is honestly the hardest video I’ve ever had to make in my life,” KSI announced in a video.

“I’ve gone back and forth on this decision for a very long time,” he added. “I’ve spent months trying to figure out what the right thing to do is.

“But after a lot of thought, I’ve decided that I will no longer be doing Sidemen videos. Today, 31 May, will be my final Sidemen video.”

KSI, who appeared in Saturday’s final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, said he remembered the group’s early days, and that he had “no idea that tens of millions of people were going to be watching us on the channel”.

“Together we’ve done things I never thought were possible,” he added.

He went on to thank each of the group’s other members Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis, saying they “deserve somebody who can give 100%”.

The collective have more than 140 million YouTube subscribers between them and have hosted charity football matches that have raised millions of pounds for charity.

KSI started making videos in 2008 and rose to fame as an online streamer. He has more than 18m subscribers to his personal YouTube channel.

He is also a musician, former boxer and recently bought a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.