KSI apologises for racial slur in Sidemen YouTube video

YouTuber turned boxer KSI has apologised for making a racial slur in a recent YouTube video.

The British rapper, real name Olajide William Olatunji, also says he will be taking a break from social media.

He made the slur during a video with his YouTube group, The Sidemen, where they were playing a Countdown challenge.

From his selection of letters, KSI created a four-letter derogatory word for people of South Asian origin.

"There's no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry," the 29-year-old tweeted.

"I've always said to my audience that they shouldn't worship me or put me on a pedestal because I'm human.

"I'm not perfect, I'm gonna mess up in life, and lately I've been messing up a lot."

The video has since been deleted from The Sidemen's social media, and the group have been criticised for laughing after KSI said the slur.

The Sidemen also tweeted later on Monday, apologising for the "completely unacceptable and inexcusable" slur.

"The fact the incident was made light of on the show was wrong and compounded the hurt," they added.

Newsbeat have contacted representatives for KSI for further comment.

But some of KSI's fans say they aren't convinced by his apology, and can't believe the video made it to YouTube.

"This word has so much hate and anger behind it," Aisha, 21, tells Newsbeat.

"I feel like his younger audience don't see anything wrong with it and that's disgusting.

"The fact that he just said it so calmly and casually, with his friends just laughing about it, I just find it so disgusting how they saw nothing wrong with that word.

"And his apology, I just don't think it's genuine, either."

Hamza, who has been a fan of KSI, says he's surprised the slur wasn't edited out the video.

"The fact that it made it on to YouTube, many people watched that numerous times and said 'Yeah, that's fine'," the 27-year-old tells Newsbeat.

"And I think that's worth noting, because again it just speaks of a normalisation of a certain type of racism."

Teacher and broadcaster Mehreen Baig also criticised KSI for the slur, saying: "This isn't comedy."

"This is horrifically disappointing from KSI and his crew," she tweeted.

"So many of my students look up to these guys and they're casually throwing around a word that has consistently been used to bully and attack South Asians."

KSI found fame with The Sidemen and is regularly involved in sketches on their YouTube channel, which has more than 18 million subscribers.

It comes after he featured at WWE's Wrestlemania this weekend as a mascot in a giant Prime suit - a nod to his hugely successful energy drink.

He was accidently put through a table by his former rival - and now Prime business partner - Logan Paul at the event.

In March 2021, KSI apologised for using "transgender slurs" in the past, tweeting: "Honestly didn't even know they were slurs. I know now though."

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