On May 31, 2026, YouTube creator Olajide “KSI” announced that he would be leaving the Sidemen in a video titled “I’m leaving the Sidemen” uploaded on his channel. For about 13 years, the Sidemen have consistently been creating content, and Olajide has been a pivotal part, considering he’s the group’s most-subscribed member. The announcement left many in shock, with some in disbelief.
To clear the air, KSI released an official statement on Instagram, accompanied by a series of photos with the group, addressing fans and his former group members.
In his statement, the YouTuber touched on how his decision has been difficult but necessary for his mental well-being, reflecting on years of content creation, charity work, and shared experiences with gratitude rather than regret:
“I know this news has been hard to deal with. I know that some people don’t want to believe it. But it’s real. I will be leaving the Sidemen. Writing this is just sad. I’m sad. Of course l’m sad. Going through these images, looking back at the years…it’s sad. We’ve done so much man. We’ve made so much content together, we entertained so many people over the years, we’ve done so much for charity and we’ve made so many people on this planet happy. And I don’t regret any of it. I had the time of my life. It’s been such an awesome crazy journey. I love these guys, and they will always be my friends for life.”
Addressing his former group members, Tobi “TBJZL,” Simon “Miniminter,” Josh “Zerkaa,” Vikram “Vikkstar123,” Ethan “Behzinga,” and Harry “Wroetoshaw,” he mentioned how this decision was a long time coming and that he made it for his “sanity”:
“Now lemme speak directly to the boys. I know you’re all grieving in your own way because of my decision, but you knew it was coming for a while. And I know some of you are angry, some of you don’t want to accept it, some of you might even hate me, and some of you are just upset. It’s ok, I’ll always be here for you. I always have been here for you. Don’t see this as the end, see this as a new era or a new beginning. Be optimistic. Think positively. You have an audience that adore you. An audience that enjoy the content. An audience that have grown with us. You’re all very entertaining so don’t think otherwise. You’ve done this without me before and it was great haha. But in the end you know how I am, so you know that I have to do this for my sanity. It’s still so mad that all of this started from all those Skype calls. Trains ftw hahaha. I love you guys ❤️”
As of this writing, the Sidemen have over 33 million subscribers across their channels on YouTube and have accumulated billions of views on the platform.
“This came as a surprise to us”: The Sidemen release an official statement about KSI’s departure
On X, the official Sidemen account released a statement about KSI’s leaving, after many online doubted that the YouTuber’s decision was real. Even IShowSpeed chimed in, suggesting the entire ordeal is a prank:
“KSI left Sidemen. Chat, is this a prank? Chat, I think this is fake. Did he Chat? This got to be fake, bro. This is fake. Is this not a prank, bro? Chat, y’all know how many times he did this. Chat, that’s got to be a prank, bro. That has to be a prank.”
The official Sidemen statement sadly confirmed KSI’s decision:
“We’re sad to share the news that JJ has decided not to continue as part of the Sidemen. We had an amazing time on this journey with him, and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours.”
Regarding the group’s future, the rest will remain intact and continue to pump out content:
“This doesn’t change anything for the rest of us. We’re still committed to creating the best content, events and shows that we can for you all. 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.”
In other news, KSI opened up about the impact of a hectic work life on relationships, and fans connected it to his exit from Sidemen.
Edited by Vishnu Menon