KSI, the British creator whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, announced that he is leaving the Sidemen, the YouTube collective he has been part of since 2013. He made the announcement via a personal YouTube video, citing a need to prioritize his health, family, and work-life balance.

“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.”

KSI stressed that no internal dispute drove the decision. “Nothing bad has happened. This decision is completely my own,” he said, adding that the group “deserves somebody who can give 100%” and that his current commitments prevented him from meeting that standard.

The Sidemen, which includes Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne, and Harry Lewis, has more than 23 million subscribers on its main YouTube channel. Since forming in 2013, the group has produced football challenges, a dating series, eating challenges, and comedy content. Their most-viewed video, a European holiday challenge, has surpassed 100 million views. The Sidemen have also hosted charity football matches, raising millions of pounds, and launched consumer brands spanning fried chicken, clothing, alcohol, and cereal.

In a statement posted on social media, the Sidemen called KSI’s departure “a surprise” but said they “had an amazing time on this journey with him” and noted they have “lots of exciting stuff planned.”

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KSI has more than 18 million subscribers on his personal YouTube channel. Beyond content creation, he is a musician, former boxer, and recent minority stakeholder in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club. He also appeared as a judge in the final of ITV’s “Britain’s Got Talent.”

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