Image by YouTube 

Popular YouTube star KSI, whose real name is Olajide William Olatunji, has issued an apology for using the racist word “P***” in a video posted on the platform.

The star was seen in a recent episode of Sidemen Sunday, taking part in a version of countdown with other members of the group. 

KSI was a part of a team named “N*****” and had to make up the longest word out of the nine letters shown on the screen. In the clip, he says that he is struggling to find a word and continues, “We need points and I don’t mean this maliciously, but the word is P***.”

All the other contestants, who are a group of best friends, did not make an attempt to criticise the abhorrent choice of the word, all in the name of a game, and proceeded to giggle. 

After immense backlash, the video was deleted from Sidemen’s social media. 

An apology was later issued in which KSI said, “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. I’m not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately I’ve been messing up a lot. So I’ve decided I’m gonna just take a break from social media for a while.”

Many British Muslim celebrities condemned KSI and the rest of the team’s act.

TV presenter and media personality Mehreen Baig posted: “This is horrifically disappointing from KSI and his crew. 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. This isn’t comedy.”

Radio host Bobby Friction posted: “I had this racial slur thrown at me & got physical beats by racists for my entire childhood. Genuinely upset that @KSI (a guy my children love) did this & thought it was funny. The rest of them laughing can go f**k themselves too. People dehumanising brown people like it normal.”

Comedian Guz Khan said, “ You see @KSI the issue you have here is that a lot of Pakistanis can make things very difficult for you and anyone giggling in this video. When they catch up with you, I hope the dead countdown joke was worth it… Wakey Wines was getting his compensation in advance.”

Broadcaster Nabaid Haroon said, “Just watched this video. Never had an issue with KSI, he’s always been a lovely guy with me but this comes back to something I always talk about. The word ‘p***’ and racial abuse to South Asians is just not taken seriously enough. Frightening that it wasn’t completed edited out.”

Music artist DJ Harpz said, “I’ve had to grow up hearing this sh*t and being called the P word over the years – not acceptable and the fact they all just laughed it off. Piss take from @KSI and everyone in the video.”

Football writer, analyst and scout Umir of Umir Talks said, “Been a KSI fan for the longest but so weird for him to say ‘P***’ in the latest Sidemen vid even if they bleeped it & it was ‘in jest’ for content. 

“Other racial slurs wouldn’t be used as punchlines for YouTube gameshows. Just makes light of the word + certain people’s experience.”