Britain’s Got Talent judge, KSI, left The Sidemen fans reeling this week when he announced he was quitting the popular YouTube group, who first formed over a decade ago
YouTube stars, The Sidemen, have admitted they were gobsmacked by KSI’s recent departure. The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 32, left fans reeling when he announced he was leaving the the social media sensations this week in what he claims had been a “painful decision”.
The group, also made up of Vikram Singh Barn, Joshua Bradley, Simon Minter, Tobi Brown, Harry Lewis and Ethan Payne, first formed over a decade ago and would regularly post gaming videos.
They found huge success and branched out with their content – which now attracts millions of viewers. In 2024, they even landed their own Netflix documentary exploring their rise to stardom and internet fame. However, KSI posted his final Sideman video on May 31 after announcing he was no longer a part of the group.
Responding to his exit, Sidemen admitted they were ‘confused’, claiming KSI had announced he was leaving before they’d had chance to wrap their head around things.
Taking to social media, they said: ““Ideally, we would have loved the opportunity to give JJ the send off he deserved, a proper farewell video, time for everyone to process it, and a chance to celebrate everything we’ve built together.
“Unfortunately JJ released the news before we had agreed on a mutual way of letting our audience know.”
Accepting that fans had been left “confused”, they continued: “His exit did not happen in the way any of us wanted it to. That has understandably left lots of you confused and we feel like we owe you some clarity.
“It’s difficult for us to address the situation and has taken some time, because we’re a group and not an individual.
“We don’t have a spokesperson as such and each of our opinions and feelings differ, which is why we’re using this shared statement.”
However, they did wish their former co-contributor well, saying: “We as the Sidemen wish JJ the best and respect his decision to leave.
“We will be forever grateful for the amazing moments and memories we’ve shared together.”
Signing off, they also insisted they weren’t going anywhere, writing: “This is the end of an era, but not the end of the Sidemen. The rest of us will continue to bring you Sidemen content with the same commitment and optimism we’ve always had.
“We look forward to continuing the journey with you all, and thank you for always supporting us through everything. Ethan – Harry – Josh – Simon – Tobi – Vik.”
In a jaw-dropping video released this week, KSI told fans he was leaving the group he’d shot to fame with. Revealing he wanted to focus on other projects, he said: “This is honestly the hardest video I’ve ever had to make in my life. 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.
“But after a lot of thought, I’ve decided that I’m no longer [going to] be doing sidemen videos. Today, 31st of May, will be my final Sidemen video. Even saying those words out loud doesn’t feel real.”
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