KSI announces departure from YouTube group Sidemen, fans react

KSI has caused a stir after announcing he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen, with fans wondering what comes next for the social media stars.

Some are questioning whether the news is a hoax or a forfeit for Arsenal fan KSI after the north London football club missed out on the Champions League title to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.

A spokesperson for KSI has confirmed he is really leaving the group, which has grown to more than 23 million YouTube subscribers since first forming in 2013.

Sidemen fan Adam Watson tells BBC Newsbeat he was "absolutely gutted" to hear the news, but he "could definitely see it coming".

The 25-year-old, who has been watching "since day one", says the Sidemen have had "such a massive influence" on the YouTube creator space in the UK.

"You always hear different YouTubers that are up-and-coming saying the Sidemen were the ones that they looked up to growing up," Watson says.

"Especially with KSI, he's sort of been there since day one, for a lot of different people they've always grown up wanting to be like [him]."

His time with the group has not been without controversy, and in 2023 he visited a mosque and apologised for using a racial slur in a YouTube video.

In 2021, the star - real name Olajide William Olatunji or JJ to friends and family - also apologised for using "transgender slurs", saying he "honestly didn't even know they were slurs. I know now though".

The group - which also consists of Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis - has become known for doing a host of challenges, gaming commentary and sketches.

In recent years, the Sidemen have expanded into the streaming world with the second instalment of their reality series, Inside, debuting on Netflix.

They were also the highest placed UK gamers in a global rich list in 2024, coming joint 21st with £50m.

KSI's side quests

KSI, who has more than 18m subscribers to his personal YouTube channel, has been building up his portfolio outside of content creation for years.

The 32-year-old began dabbling in the music world back in the 2010s, but his work really picked up steam in 2020 when his debut album Dissimulation shot to number two in the UK charts.

His follow-up, All Over The Place, finally secured him the top spot in 2021.

He also spent a few years in the boxing ring, including bouts with fellow YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul and Love Island star Tommy Fury.

Paul and KSI later moved from being boxing foes to energy drink partners as they joined to promote Prime Hydration, which became an online sensation and had fans queuing up to get their hands on it.

To add to his side quests, KSI recently bought a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club and is a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

Sidemen's 'authentic' success

PR and marketing expert Megan Dorian tells Newsbeat that while the Sidemen have been developing their presence for years and are "no doubt worth millions", she believes KSI leaving the group will "probably open up more opportunities" for him.

"There may be a clause [in contracts] where he can't do certain opportunities because other members of the Sidemen are in it," Dorian says.

"Or it might be that certain brands don't want to be a part of the Sidemen, they will just want KSI individually, and they don't want that association as such for different reasons."

She also notes there are "always going to be risks" in going solo, likening it to a music star leaving a band, but feels he and his team will likely have "future-proofed" the decision with opportunities lined-up.

Dorian, who is the founder of Orange PR and Marketing, does think some Sidemen fans might feel "there is something potentially missing from their videos" now.

"They've been going for so long that they are someone that they feel connected to, it's a friendship group," she says.

However, she says the buzz around the announcement does have an upside for the collective as they are "effectively getting millions and millions of pounds worth of marketing".

A statement shared by the Sidemen following KSI's announcement on YouTube said the news "came as a surprise" to them but that they wished him "all the best with his future endeavours".

It added that the collective has "lots of exciting stuff planned that we can't wait to share".

Despite KSI's departure, fan Watson doesn't think too much will change for the Sidemen as there have been periods when he hasn't featured in videos and says they have previously claimed "they would never bring in another Sideman".

Both Dorian and Watson feel it's important for their brand that the Sidemen don't move away from what's worked.

"If they change themselves too much, they risk alienating the fans that have come to know and love them as they are."

Whatever is in store for him next, Watson says he "definitely will" be tuning in, and it's likely many other fans will be following suit.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.