KSI Leaves the Sidemen After 13 Years to Focus on Solo Projects

KSI announced on May 31, 2026, that he is leaving the Sidemen, the British YouTube collective formed in 2013. He published a video titled “I’m leaving the Sidemen” hours after the Britain’s Got Talent finale, where he served as a judge. KSI said the decision followed months of deliberation.

“This is honestly the hardest video I’ve ever had to make in my life,” he stated. ” KSI said May 31, 2026, would mark his final Sidemen video. He described the group as “a second family” and said balancing collective work with individual commitments had become increasingly difficult.

He stated there was “no drama or conflict” behind the move and that he had been “pulled in a lot of different directions” over recent years, making it hard to spend time with family. KSI gave individual shoutouts to the remaining members: Simon Minter (Miniminter), Vikram Barn (Vikkstar123), Ethan Payne (Behzinga), Harry Lewis (W2S), Tobit Brown (TBJZL) and Joshua Bradley (Zerkaa).

His representatives confirmed the announcement was genuine to the BBC and the Press Association.

KSI, whose full name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, first appeared on YouTube in 2009 with FIFA commentary videos. The Sidemen’s main channel has 23 million subscribers, while KSI’s personal channels total more than 44 million. His 2020 album Dissimulation reached number two on the UK charts.

He fought Tommy Fury in Manchester on October 11, 2023, and retired from boxing earlier in 2026. Forbes ranked KSI the second-highest-earning creator in 2023 with $24 million in earnings. 2 billion in 2023, while UK sales fell nearly 50 percent in 2024.

He also co-launched LUNCHLY with MrBeast and Logan Paul, which faced backlash over health claims and mold reports in 2024. KSI was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Europe in Entertainment in 2021. The Sidemen are known for football challenges, comedy videos and an annual charity match at West Ham United’s London Stadium.