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For other uses, see Sideman (disambiguation).
Sidemen
Top to bottom from left column: Barn, Brown; Olatunji, Minter, Lewis; Payne, and Bradley.
Personal information
Born
  • Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji (KSI)
  • (1993-06-19) 19 June 1993 (age 31)
  • Simon Minter (Miniminter)
  • (1992-09-07) 7 September 1992 (age 32)
  • Joshua Bradley (Zerkaa)
  • (1992-09-04) 4 September 1992 (age 32)
  • Tobit John Brown (TBJZL)
  • (1993-04-08) 8 April 1993 (age 31)
  • Ethan Payne (Behzinga)
  • (1995-06-20) 20 June 1995 (age 29)
  • Vikram Singh Barn (Vikkstar123)
  • (1995-08-02) 2 August 1995 (age 29)
  • Harry Lewis (W2S)
  • (1996-11-24) 24 November 1996 (age 27)
OriginLondon, England[1]
OccupationYouTubers
Websitesidemen.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subscribers146.2 million (combined)[a][2][4]
Total views43.6 billion (combined)[a][2][4]
Associated actsJme[3]
100,000 subscribers2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
1,000,000 subscribers2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
10,000,000 subscribers2020
Last updated: 9 February 2024

The Sidemen is a British YouTube group consisting of internet personalities KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S. The group produce videos of various challenges, sketches, and video game commentaries across their YouTube channels, which have a combined total of over 138 million subscribers as of October 2022.[2][5]

Members

The Sidemen taking photos with a fan during their book tour in 2016.

The group has the following members:[6]

History

2013–2020: Origins and initial popularity

Some of the members knew each other before the group was formed. Bradley and Brown both attended Bexley Grammar School in London and Olatunji and Minter both attended Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire.[6]

The group originates from a Rockstar Games Social Club group made on 19 October 2013 in Grand Theft Auto Online, called "The Ultimate Sidemen", which included all the members except for Lewis. In January 2014, Bradley met Lewis while at a FIFA gaming event in New York City and invited him to join the group.[6] Describing the group name, Minter said in a video that "A sideman is basically someone's bitch who just follows them around [...] I was basically JJ's bitch that followed him around."[1]

The Sidemen (background) and friends at the first "Sidemen House".

In February 2014, Olatunji, Minter, Bradley, and Barn moved into a house together near London, which they referred to as the "Sidemen House",[6][7][8] which allowed them to collaborate more often.[9]

In 2016, Olatunji, Minter, Bradley, and Barn moved into another "Sidemen House", living in a 15,000-square-foot, $8.5 million mansion in Bromley, London.[10] In November 2016, the Sidemen collaborated with Rocket League to release an in-game SDMN FC community flag that users can get for free inside the game.[11]

On 1 December 2020, the group's eponymous YouTube channel surpassed 10 million subscribers. Each member of the group was awarded their own Diamond Play Button by YouTube to mark their milestone.[12]

In March 2020, the Sidemen released a twenty-minute YouTube video titled "#StayHome". The video featured the Sidemen and more than one hundred other YouTube video creators and other celebrities raising awareness of the UK's "stay at home" campaign which aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the UK.[13][14] All of the advertising revenue generated from the video was donated to the NHS.[15]

2021–present: Expanded content and continued growth

In August 2021, the Sidemen signed with a London-based digital talent management company called Arcade Media.[16]

In April 2023, the Sidemen garnered controversy when Olatunji said the racial slur "Paki" in a Sidemen Sunday video published on 2 April; a parody of the British game show Countdown.[17][18] The Sidemen group were criticised on Twitter after a clip of Olatunji speaking the slur went viral,[17] including criticisms from DJ and presenter Bobby Friction and comedian Guz Khan among others.[19][18] Hours later, Olatunji tweeted an apology for the slur[20] and announced that he would be taking a break from social media.[19][21][17] The Sidemen Twitter account also released a statement the following day apologising for the slur, with the statement reading, "We stand against racism and discrimination of any kind and we failed to do that."[22][21] The full video in question has since been privatised.[19] In an interview held before the 2023 Sidemen Charity Match, Barn told the BBC regarding the slur that the group had "very serious meetings" about the acceptability of what they joke about, saying, "We had to acknowledge that things are different to when we first all started platforms and the world has changed as a place. We saw it as a lesson and moved on from there and I think people were very understanding of that and allowed us to carry on doing what we're doing with a better sense of responsibility."[23]

In July 2023, the group invested in The Fellas Studios, a production company founded by YouTubers Callum Airey and Joshua Larkin.[24] On 3 July 2023, the group participated in a collaborative hide-and-seek challenge video with Paradise Wildlife Park, a Hertfordshire-based zoo. This initiative was part of a broader partnership aimed at supporting the zoo's conservation efforts.[25] On 26 September 2023, the Sidemen signed with United Talent Agency, an American talent agency, for their representation in all areas of North America.[26] On 17 August 2024, the group appeared and was ranked 21st on The Times's list of "The UK’s top 30 richest gamers and creators in 2024", estimating £50 million in fortune shared among the group.[27]

YouTube channels

The group has five YouTube channels, Sidemen, MoreSidemen, SidemenReacts, SidemenShorts and Sidemen en Español across which it publishes a variety of videos including challenges, sketches and video game commentaries.[28][29][30]

As of June 2024, the Sidemen channel has over 21.3 million subscribers and 6.2 billion views,[31] MoreSidemen has over 8.5 million subscribers and 4.4 billion views,[32] SidemenReacts has over 5.6 million subscribers and 2.9 billion views,[33]Sidemen en Español has over 8.8 thousand subscribers and 170 thousand views and SidemenShorts has over 2.1 million subscribers and 1.8 billion views.[34]

Other ventures

Sidemen Clothing

Side+
XIX Vodka

Since 2014, the group has sold and distributed Sidemen Clothing merchandise.[35][28] In October 2021, Sidemen Clothing collaborated with Ellesse, an Italian sportswear brand, and launched an AW21 collection of co-branded clothing.[36] On 15 July 2023, they opened their first physical store in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.[37][38][39] On 4 October 2024, they opened their second physical store in Bull Ring, Birmingham.[40] The group also announced their partnership with Paramount to produce a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed Sidemen apparel line.[40]

Side+

In September 2021, the Sidemen launched a subscription service app known as Side+, where they would post behind-the-scenes content from their YouTube video recordings and other extra contents.[41][42] On 14 January 2022, they announced that the app is now available on Xbox.[43]

Sides

Sides restaurant in Dalston, East London.
Example of the Sides menu: chicken burger, waffle fries, and wings with Tennessee sauce.

In November 2021, the Sidemen partnered with Reef, the world's largest operator of virtual restaurants and delivery kitchens, to launch a restaurant chain known as Sides.[44][45] The restaurant is serving a menu of chicken and plant-based sandos, sliders, and salads that come in flavours including chipotle, classic buffalo, BBQ, Korean BBQ, teriyaki, garlic mayo, and Louisiana. Other dishes include mac and cheese bites, waffle fries, slaw, onion rings, and cheese poppers.[45][44][46]

On 24 February 2022, the restaurant launched its first physical branch in Boxpark Wembley, attracting over three-hour queues on its debut day.[45][47][48] As of September 2022, the restaurant had over 80 dark kitchens across the UK and 20 in the UAE.[48] On 29 September 2022, the restaurant launched its second physical branch in Boxpark Croydon.[48] In October 2022, the restaurant unveiled its new partnership with Farnham Town F.C., a semi-professional football club based in Farnham, Surrey, to become the football club’s front-shirt sponsor of the newly released 2022/23 away kit.[49][50]

XIX Vodka

In 2022, the Sidemen founded and launched their own vodka brand known as XIX Vodka.[41]

Book

On 18 October 2016, the group released a book titled Sidemen: The Book, published by Coronet Books, and embarked on a UK-wide promotional tour.[51][52] A number one best-seller in the UK, the book sold 26,436 copies within the first three days of its release.[53][54]

Documentary and web series

On 18 June 2018, the group released a web television series titled The Sidemen Show, available exclusively on YouTube Premium.[55] It comprises seven 30-minute episodes filmed around the world alongside a number of celebrity guests.[56][57]

On 14 February 2024, a documentary film about the Sidemen called The Sidemen Story was released on Netflix.[58] The film was directed by Luke Hyams, a former Head of Originals for YouTube EMEA.[58]

In June 2024, the Sidemen created a reality competition series called Inside. The series features ten celebrity guests who compete in challenges to secure a prize fund totalled at £1 million, with everything they buy or do costing money from the prize fund. The series first aired on 2 June 2024 on their YouTube account, Sidemen, and last aired on 9 June 2024.[59][60]

Charity football matches

Wembley Cup

In August 2015, all of the Sidemen members except Olatunji and Barn participated in the 2015 Wembley Cup football charity match, facing Spencer FC, with Minter captaining the Sidemen United team. The match ended with Spencer FC beating Sidemen United by five goals to two.[61]

Sidemen charity match

2018 Sidemen Charity Match at the Valley
Main article: List of Sidemen Charity Matches

The Sidemen Charity Match is an annual football friendly match run by the Sidemen to raise money for various charitable causes. They have been held since 2016, barring a four-year hiatus between the third and fourth matches. In all matches so far, the group's seven members and various affiliated YouTubers competed as the Sidemen Football Club, while various other YouTubers competed as the YouTube Allstars. The first match, on 3 June 2016, was held at St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, raising over £110,000 for the Saints Foundation.[62][63]

Discography

List of singles with selected chart positions and year released
Title Year Peak chart positions
UK
[64] 		UK
R&B
[65] 		UK
Ind.
[66] 		IRE
[67] 		NZ
Hot
[68] 		SCO
[69]
"The Gift"[70]
(featuring S-X) 		2019 77 40 11 — 27 26
"This or That" 2022 — — 23 — 14 —
"Christmas Drillings"
(featuring Jme) 		3 — 2 25 7 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Publications

  • The Sidemen (18 October 2016). Sidemen: The Book. Coronet Books. ISBN 978-1473648166.

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
British Book Awards 2017 Non-Fiction: Lifestyle Book of the Year Sidemen: The Book Nominated [71]
Shorty Awards 2019 Best YouTube Ensemble Sidemen Nominated [72]
Name of publication, year the record was awarded, name of the record, and the name of the record holder
Publication Year World record Record holder R. Status Ref.
Guinness World Records 2023 Most viewers for a charity sports match live stream on YouTube Sidemen Record [73]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Includes the Sidemen's five group channels and fifteen of their individual channels which host Sidemen content.

References

  1. ^ a b "KSI: how the YouTube millionaire, who beat Logan Paul in a celebrity boxing rematch, made his name". Business Insider. South China Morning Post. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b c See:
  3. ^ Wynter, Courtney (30 March 2020). "Jme Joins Sidemen For A Hilarious Virtual Rap Battle". GRM Daily. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b "About Sidemen". YouTube.
  5. ^ Billen, Andrew (23 October 2021). "Who are the Sidemen? How KSI and friends amassed 123 million followers". The Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d The Sidemen (18 October 2016). Sidemen: The Book. Coronet Books. ISBN 978-1473648166.
  7. ^ Shaw, Dougal (19 April 2020). "Coronavirus: UK's first 'TikTok house' opens during outbreak". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. ^ "TikTok UK house: Who's in it and what do you need to know?". Newsround. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  9. ^ Reiner, Andrew (30 April 2015). "An Interview With YouTube Sensation Vikkstar123". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  10. ^ Baldwin, Keith (23 September 2020). "10 of the Craziest YouTube and TikTok Content Houses". PopDust. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  11. ^ CONNORS, DEVIN (15 November 2016). "VIKKSTAR123 AND SDMN FC COMMUNITY FLAGS COMING SOON". Rocket League. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  12. ^ Savic, Nikola (2 December 2020). "YouTuber's The Sidemen celebrate 10 million subscriber milestone". Ginx.
  13. ^ "Coronavirus: YouTube stars urge fans to stay at home". BBC News. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  14. ^ "KSI and Saffron Barker urge fans to stay inside as YouTube stars band together during coronavirus crisis". Metro. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Coronavirus: YouTube stars and celebrities rally together to urge fans to 'stay home'". Daily Mirror. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
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  18. ^ a b Blistein, Jon (3 April 2023). "'I've Been Messing Up A Lot': British Rapper KSI Apologizes for Using Racist Slur". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
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  20. ^ KSI [@KSI] (2 April 2023). "I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video. There's no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry. I've always said to my audience that they shouldn't worship me or put me on a pedestal because I'm human. Im [sic] not perfect, I'm gonna mess up in life, and lately I've been messing up a lot" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 April 2023 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ a b Gach, Ethan (3 April 2023). "Popular YouTuber KSI And The Sidemen Apologize For Racial Slur Joke". Kotaku. G/O Media. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  22. ^ Sidemen [@Sidemen] (3 April 2023). "[Image featuring a statement that begins with, 'During yesterday's 'Sidemen Sunday' a racial slur was said during the video.']" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 April 2023 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ Rackham, Annabel (8 September 2023). "The Sidemen: Our YouTube content lets you escape". BBC.com. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  24. ^ Jones, Jess (6 July 2023). "YouTube stars including KSI and Sidemen invest £1.5m in emerging video-podcast studio". CityAM. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  25. ^ Lewis, Kate (3 July 2023). "KSI and Sidemen hand-feed tigers at Paradise Wildlife Park". BBC. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  26. ^ Franklin, McKinley (26 September 2023). "UTA Signs British YouTube Creator Group Sidemen (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
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  31. ^ "Sidemen's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  32. ^ "MoreSidemen's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  33. ^ "SidemenReacts's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  34. ^ "SidemenShorts's YouTube Stats". Social Blade. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  35. ^ "Sidemen Clothing Limited – Overview". Companies House. 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  36. ^ TAYLOR, Nigel (29 October 2021). "Ellesse links with Sidemen for new collab". FashionNetwork. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  37. ^ Hill, Eloise (14 July 2023). "YouTube giant Sidemen launches first ever retail store". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  38. ^ Beevers, Angela (17 July 2023). "Sidemen chooses Bluewater for first Sidemen Clothing store". The Retail Bulletin. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  39. ^ Honey, Sam (14 July 2023). "First look inside YouTube stars Sidemen's first ever clothes store ahead of Bluewater opening". Kent Live. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  40. ^ a b Gutelle, Sam (4 October 2024). "The Sidemen are the new 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' and they have the merch deal to prove it". Tubefilter. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Who are the Sidemen? How KSI and friends amassed 123 million followers". The Times. 23 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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  43. ^ Xbox, Pure (14 January 2022). "Side+, The Exclusive App Of The Sidemen, Is Now Available On Xbox". Pure Xbox. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  44. ^ a b Lutrario, Joe (25 November 2021). "YouTube's the Sidemen launch virtual fried chicken brand". RestaurantOnline.co.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  45. ^ a b c Tabahriti, Sam (13 March 2022). "A fried chicken restaurant run by 7 YouTubers has opened its first branch after initially operating as a ghost kitchen. See inside". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  46. ^ "YouTube stars to open first bricks and mortar site for Sides". RestaurantOnline.co.uk. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  47. ^ "YouTube stars to open first bricks and mortar site for Sides". RestaurantOnline.co.uk. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  48. ^ a b c Ellis, David (7 September 2022). "The Sidemen talk fried chicken — and plans for world domination". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  49. ^ Sensi, Jasdip (3 October 2022). "YouTuber group Sidemen's restaurant chain partners with Farnham Town - Marketing Beat". Retrieved 19 June 2024.
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  65. ^ "UK R&B Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. 26 December 2019.
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  67. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 (23 December 2022 – 29 December 2022)". Official Charts Company. 23 December 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  68. ^ Peaks on the NZ Hot Singles Chart:
  69. ^ "Scottish Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. 26 December 2019.
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  73. ^ Punt, Dominic (18 August 2023). "Jack Sucks At Life crashes Sidemen's London HQ to celebrate charity match record". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
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