KSI Leaves Sidemen After 13 Years on YouTube

KSI, also known as Olajide Olatunji, has announced that he is leaving The Sidemen, the hugely popular YouTube collective he helped make famous. In a video titled “I’m leaving the Sidemen,” posted to his YouTube channel, he told his 18.4 million subscribers that he has been “pulled in a lot of directions” in recent years, but stressed that the decision was “completely my own.”

The announcement initially sparked speculation online that the video might be fake, but it was later verified. The other six members of The Sidemen confirmed the news in a statement, saying they were “sad to share the news” that KSI had chosen not to continue. They added that the decision came as a surprise and would be an adjustment for fans, while teasing that the group still has “lots of exciting stuff planned.”

KSI said that “nothing bad has happened” between him and the rest of the group and thanked them for their support. His departure comes after a period in which he has expanded well beyond YouTube, taking on high-profile projects in television, business, sport and entertainment. In recent years, he has served as a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, launched multiple businesses, headlined crossover boxing events, and purchased a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club.

He is widely regarded as the most recognizable member of The Sidemen, a group that has become one of the most successful creator collectives on YouTube. Together, the seven members have amassed around 140 million subscribers across their channels and have been producing content for more than a decade.

The Sidemen’s influence has increasingly crossed into mainstream media. KSI has grown a larger audience through his television work, while the group’s Inside reality series has run for two seasons on Netflix, including a U.S. version. Their latest media move is Sidemen Presents: SideMenu, a four-part culinary competition series that will debut in a staggered release across Prime Video and YouTube. KSI is not involved in that project.

His exit marks a significant moment for both KSI and The Sidemen, ending an era for one of the most influential groups in online entertainment while raising questions about what direction both the creator and the collective will take next.