Entertainment
KSI Announces Departure from Sidemen After 13 Years
Social media star and Britain’s Got Talent judge KSI has announced that he is leaving the Sidemen after 13 years, marking the end of one of the most successful partnerships in YouTube history.
KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, revealed the decision in an emotional video posted on YouTube, saying it had been one of the most difficult choices of his career.
“This is honestly the hardest video I’ve ever had to make in my life,” he told fans.
“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 will no longer be doing Sidemen videos. Today, 31 May, will be my final Sidemen video.”
KSI has been a member of the Sidemen since 2013, helping transform the group from a collection of friends making gaming videos into one of the world’s biggest online entertainment brands. The collective’s main YouTube channel has amassed more than 23 million subscribers, while its members have a combined audience of more than 140 million subscribers across their platforms.
Reflecting on the group’s early years, KSI said he never imagined the scale of success they would achieve.
“We built something that none of us ever thought was possible, especially back then when we were making random videos together and playing GTA,” he said.
The content creator stressed that his departure was not linked to any disagreement within the group.
“Nothing bad has happened. This decision is completely my own,” he explained.
KSI said increasing commitments outside the Sidemen had made it difficult to continue giving the group his full attention.
“Over the last few years, I’ve felt myself being pulled in a lot of directions more than ever before. Between everything else in my life, I feel like I’ve been running at full speed, at 100mph.”
He also thanked fellow Sidemen members Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne and Harry Lewis, saying they deserved someone who could commit fully to the group’s activities.
In a statement posted on social media, the Sidemen said they were saddened by the news and admitted the decision had come unexpectedly.
“We had an amazing time on this journey with him and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours,” the group said.
“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.”
Since its formation, the Sidemen have become one of the most influential creator groups on the internet. Their videos, ranging from travel challenges and comedy content to dating shows and charity football matches, have attracted hundreds of millions of views worldwide.
The group has also expanded into business ventures including food, clothing and beverage brands, while their annual charity football events have raised millions of pounds for charitable causes.
Two concerts in Russia by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, have officially been cancelled after weeks of uncertainty.
West had been scheduled to perform at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg on 10 and 11 October.
However, there had been confusion over whether the concerts would take place after the stadium said it would not host the rapper for what would have been the biggest performance by a Western artist in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022.
In a post on the messaging app Telegram, concert organisers Say Agency confirmed the shows had been cancelled with “sincere regret”.
“The Ye concerts in St Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates,” the Moscow-based agency said.
“We will issue an official statement regarding the status of the project and our plans in the near future.”
Gazprom Arena said in August that it had not signed a rental agreement with the concert promoters, meaning the concerts could not take place at the venue.
Say Agency had previously said it was working to resolve the issue with the stadium before confirming that the shows could not go ahead.
The stadium also acknowledged that it had received complaints about West’s planned performance.
West has recently apologised for a series of antisemitic and pro-Nazi comments he made in the past, saying he had “lost touch with reality” as a result of his bipolar disorder.
Celine Dion has kicked off Paris Fashion Week with a surprise performance at L’Oreal’s annual show.
The Canadian singer, who was diagnosed with the rare neurological condition stiff person syndrome in 2022, took to the runway at the end of the show.
Dion wore a ruched, full-length black velvet gown before being joined by several famous ambassadors for the French beauty brand, including Viola Davis, Simone Ashley, Aja Naomi King and Eva Longoria.
The singer recently performed a comeback show in Paris earlier this month, her first since a 2020 concert in New Jersey. That was the final show of her tour before the Covid-19 pandemic brought it to a halt.
Paris Fashion Week, which is showcasing women’s spring/summer collections, runs until 6 October.
Actress Viola Davis was greeted by cheers from the crowd as she joined Dion under the stars in the French capital.
Kendall Jenner also walked at the show, wearing a sheer black halterneck dress with a thigh-high split and an ivory corset underneath.
Supermodel Cara Delevingne, meanwhile, appeared on the runway in a sparkling red sheer dress with a train.
Pop star Rihanna also brought her fashion credentials to Paris on the opening day, wearing a shimmering copper two-piece over sheer black lingerie.
She attended the Matières Fécales fashion show from the front row. The label was behind Zendaya’s angel wings dress at The Odyssey premiere in New York this summer.
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo was also in the French capital for an event hosted by Tiffany and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Taylor Swift has become the most successful artist in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards after winning the video of the year award on Sunday.
The singer entered the ceremony tied with Beyoncé on 30 VMA wins but moved ahead after taking home the night’s top prize for the visuals for her track The Fate of Ophelia.
The song is taken from her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl.
The original Queen of Pop, Madonna, won artist of the year, best dance and best collaboration alongside Sabrina Carpenter for their dancefloor-filler Bring Your Love.
The song was the lead single from Madonna’s 2026 album Confessions II.
Swift also received the inaugural artist director award after writing and directing the Ophelia music video herself.
She dedicated the new award to the “ultimate showgirl”, saying: “I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time.”
The 36-year-old also debuted the music video for her new song Patient Zero, starring actors Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, during the Los Angeles ceremony hosted by rapper Snoop Dogg.
The dark gothic thriller is Swift’s first music video since she married NFL player Travis Kelce.
The song is one of four new tracks featured on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, which was released last week.
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