running at full speed, at 100 miles per hour
After thirteen years of shared creation, KSI — one of YouTube's most recognizable figures — has chosen to step away from the Sidemen collective he helped build from a group of friends into a cultural institution. His departure, announced on May 31st, was not born of conflict but of a quieter reckoning: the recognition that divided attention is a form of absence, and that those we care about deserve our full presence. It is a story as old as ambition itself — the moment a person must choose between the comfort of belonging and the call of becoming.
- KSI announced he could no longer give the Sidemen what they deserved — someone fully present — after months of feeling stretched across too many commitments at once.
- The collective, commanding 140 million combined subscribers, expressed genuine surprise at the split, suggesting the departure landed faster than anyone inside the group had anticipated.
- Fans initially refused to believe it, reading the announcement as an elaborate stunt, until the weight of its sincerity slowly replaced skepticism with tribute.
- KSI was careful to name each member personally and insist no falling-out had occurred, framing the exit as an act of respect rather than rejection.
- The Sidemen have pledged new content ahead, now facing the creative challenge of redefining themselves without their most visible face.
- KSI moves forward with an 18-million-subscriber solo channel, a music career, boxing history, a football club stake, and a television judging role — a portfolio that signals expansion, not retreat.
Olajide Olatunji, known globally as KSI, stepped away from the Sidemen on May 31st after thirteen years — ending a partnership that had grown from casual gaming videos into one of YouTube's most elaborate creative enterprises. What began in 2013 with a handful of friends making content together had evolved into football challenges, comedy formats, charity matches, a fried chicken chain, clothing lines, and alcohol brands, drawing audiences in the hundreds of millions.
In his departure statement, KSI described a man running at full speed in too many directions at once. After months of deliberation, he concluded that the group deserved someone operating at full capacity — and that person, for now, could not be him. He was careful to name each member individually and to make clear that nothing had fractured between them. The Sidemen responded with surprise but without bitterness, promising their audience that new content was on the way.
What followed revealed something about the relationship between long-running creators and the audiences who grow up watching them. Many fans initially dismissed the announcement as a stunt — a familiar move in the attention economy. But as the reality settled, skepticism gave way to something more tender. Tributes appeared. Viewers acknowledged the courage it takes to walk away from something you helped build.
KSI is not disappearing. He carries with him 18 million solo subscribers, a music career, a boxing background, a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club, and a recent turn as a judge on Britain's Got Talent. The departure is less an ending than a redirection — and for the Sidemen, the work now is learning who they are without the face most associated with their name.
Olajide Olatunji, known to millions as KSI, has decided to step away from the Sidemen after thirteen years of building one of YouTube's most recognizable collectives. On May 31st, he announced the split in a video statement, confirming what his followers had begun to suspect: the partnership that started in 2013 with a handful of friends making random videos together had run its course.
The Sidemen collective—which includes Simon Minter, Josh Bradley, Vikram Barn, Tobi Brown, Ethan Payne, and Harry Lewis—commands 23 million subscribers on its main channel and 140 million across all their accounts combined. Over thirteen years, they built something neither they nor anyone watching could have predicted. What began as casual gaming content evolved into football challenges, comedy roasts, dating show parodies, and elaborate budget experiments that drew over 100 million views. They launched a fried chicken chain, released clothing and alcohol brands, and hosted charity football matches that raised millions. KSI was the most visible face of the operation.
But visibility and growth, he explained, had come at a cost. In his departure statement, KSI described feeling pulled in too many directions, running at what he called full speed, at 100 miles per hour. He had spent months wrestling with the decision, he said, trying to determine what the right move was. The conclusion he reached was that he could no longer give the group what they deserved—someone operating at full capacity. "This decision is completely my own," he emphasized, and he was careful to note that nothing bad had happened between him and the other members. He thanked each of them by name.
The Sidemen's response came quickly. In a statement posted to social media, they said the news had surprised them, but they wished him well and promised their audience that exciting new content was coming. The group's statement struck a tone of acceptance rather than acrimony, though the unexpectedness of the announcement clearly caught them off guard.
What followed revealed something about how audiences consume content from creators they've watched for years. Many fans initially dismissed the announcement as a prank—a stunt designed to generate engagement and conversation. But as the reality settled in, the skepticism gave way to something more genuine. Tributes began appearing under his video. One viewer wrote that it took courage to make such a step. Another acknowledged the shock but offered encouragement for whatever came next.
KSI's departure does not mean he is stepping away from public life. He maintains an 18-million-subscriber personal YouTube channel, a music career, a boxing background, and recently acquired a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club. He also appeared as a judge on Britain's Got Talent, a role that represents his expanding reach beyond YouTube. The question now is what he will do with the time and energy he has reclaimed. For the Sidemen, the challenge is continuing to create content that resonates without their most recognizable member.
Notable Quotes
Over the last few years, I've felt myself being pulled in a lot of directions than ever before. Between everything else in my life, I feel like I've been running at full speed, at 100mph.— KSI
We had an amazing time on this journey with him and we wish him all the best with his future endeavours. This came as a surprise to us.— Sidemen collective
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did it take him so long to make this decision? Thirteen years is a long time to suddenly feel like you need out.
He said he'd been going back and forth for months. I think when you're part of something that successful, that embedded in your life, the inertia is real. You're making millions, you're famous, the group is thriving. Walking away from that isn't a snap decision—it's something you have to convince yourself is actually necessary.
But he said nothing bad happened. So it wasn't a conflict thing. It was just... burnout?
More like overextension. He's got his own YouTube channel with 18 million subscribers, he's a musician, he was a boxer, he just bought into a football club, and now he's judging on Britain's Got Talent. The Sidemen videos are just one piece of a much larger operation. At some point, you can't do all of it at once.
The other members said it came as a surprise. How do you not see that coming if you're working together regularly?
That's the interesting part. They might have sensed something was off, but maybe he kept it private until he'd made up his mind. Or maybe they were so focused on their own work that they didn't realize how stretched he felt. When you're part of a collective, you're not always tracking each other's inner lives.
Do you think he'll come back?
I doubt it. He was very deliberate about saying this was his final video. He thanked everyone. That's not the language of someone taking a break. It sounds like someone closing a chapter.