KSI has announced that he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen after over a decade.
The YouTuber and entrepreneur – who is also a musician, former boxer and judge on Britain’s Got Talent – started making videos in 2008 and rose to fame as an online streamer, before going on to help form the collective in 2013.
They have 23million YouTube subscribers and regularly make comedy and challenge content. Videos include the “Sidemen Tinder” dating series, eating challenges, and planning holidays with different budgets, and the collective have also organised charity football matches that raised millions for charity.
Together they have also created multiple brands of their own food, drink and clothing, including fried chicken, cereal and alcohol.
KSI is the most widely recognised of the collective, and announced on YouTube that he was leaving after 13 years.
“I’ve gone back and forth on this decision for a very long time. I’ve spent months trying to figure out what the right thing to do is,” he said. “But after a lot of thought, I’ve decided that I will no longer be doing Sidemen videos. Today, May 31, will be my final Sidemen video.”
He went on to share that he never expected that “tens of millions of people were going to be watching” the channel when they made it, and said that he was grateful that they “built something that none of us ever thought was possible”.
KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji, also clarified that “nothing bad has happened” between him and the other members, and the decision came after juggling so many projects at once.
“This decision is completely my own. Over the last few years, I’ve felt myself being pulled in a lot more directions than ever before. Between everything else in my life, I feel like I’ve been running at full speed, at 100mph,” he explained, adding that the other members “deserve somebody who can give 100 per cent”.
— Sidemen (@Sidemen) May 31, 2026
When he first announced the departure, many followers assumed it was a stunt, however a spokesperson has now confirmed to BBC News that the announcement is genuine.
Taking to Instagram, other members of the group – Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis – shared their shock at the news.
“We had an amazing time on this journey with him and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours,” they wrote. “This came as a surprise to us and we know it will be an adjustment for you, but we’ve got lots of exciting stuff planned that we can’t wait to share.”
Last month, KSI announced that he had bought a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge FC, hoping to take the non-league team to the Premier League.
“I’m so excited to start this journey. It’s gonna be a rollercoaster for sure but I hope to bring Dagenham & Redbridge back to the glory days,” he said.
“And once we reach that point, I want to go even further. Reaching the Premier League would be a dream. And I believe it is 100 per cent doable… It will take a long time, so to the Daggers fans, please be patient.”
KSI last caught up with NME on the red carpet at the 2025 BRIT Awards and discussed the mixed response to his single ‘Thick Of It’.
“For the positive, it was very small compared to the negative,” he quipped. “I’ve got to be honest, it was funny. There were a lot of funny memes, like people who were in car crashes and while they were passed out, they’d wake up just to turn off the song. It was annoying at first, but then I realised I’ve got to accept it.”
KSI also dismissed rumours of more collaborations, telling NME: “I don’t want to collab with anyone, I need to do more songs by myself. I’m going to stick to my guns and not collab with anyone. That’s right, I’m going to release a song, by myself, and that is it.”