KSI and Sidemen: What's next for the social media stars?

KSI has caused a stir after announcing he is leaving the YouTube collective Sidemen, with fans wondering what comes next for the social media stars. Some are questioning whether the news is a hoax or a forfeit for Arsenal fan KSI after the north London football club missed out on the Champions League title to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. A spokesperson for KSI has confirmed he is really leaving the group, which has grown to more than 23 million YouTube subscribers since first forming in 2013. Sidemen fan Adam Watson tells BBC Newsbeat he was "absolutely gutted" to hear the news, but he "could definitely see it coming". The 25-year-old, who has been watching "since day one", says the Sidemen have had "such a massive influence" on the YouTube creator space in the UK. "You always hear different YouTubers that are up-and-coming saying the Sidemen were the ones that they looked up to growing up," Watson says. "Especially with KSI, he's sort of been there since day one, for a lot of different people they've always grown up wanting to be like [him]." His time with the group has not been without controversy, and in 2023 he visited a mosque and apologised for using a racial slur in a Yo