YOU don’t get asked to be a guest judge on one of the biggest shows on the planet if you’re not one of the most famous faces on telly.
And yet, until two weeks ago, KSI wasn’t a TV star.
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He is, however, a social-media sensation known for his YouTube videos with the Sidemen, a rapper, a boxer and CEO of Misfits Boxing, and an entrepreneur whose drinks brand with Logan Paul, Prime, is loved by schoolkids across the globe.
In fact, his 53-million-strong social-media following dwarfs the other judges put together.
But for all his achievements, even KSI himself suspected he was being pranked when he was first approached to join Britain’s Got Talent.
“I thought it was a joke,” laughs the 31 year old, who was born Olajide Olatunji and first made his name posting videos on YouTube back in 2008.
“I honestly didn’t think they were serious. When I realised they were, I was like, ‘Wow, this is cool, let me process this.’
“It took me a while to say yes because I wanted to figure out if it made sense for me. I’ve been asked to do quite a lot of TV stuff and I’ve turned down quite a lot.
“For example, I’ve turned down I’m A Celebrity because I hate bugs and I just know I’m going to get a lot of people voting for me to do the Bushtucker Trials.
“I’d be targeted and it’d just be a very long day for me. The whole situation would just be awful.
“So, with Britain’s Got Talent, to be a judge, I was like, ‘Oh, this is a big ask. It’s a lot of pressure and there’s going to be a lot of eyes on it.’
“But I had a talk with my close ones and we decided, yeah, this was going to work and I should do it.
“I already get mobbed quite a bit, but I’ll probably get mobbed even more, so it’s definitely going to make running outside a bit harder!
“I’m not a guy that goes out much anyway, so I don’t really mind it.”
KSI has taken to his high-profile new role – covering for Bruno Tonioli during the auditions when the Italian judge had other commitments – like a duck to water, with fans even demanding that he replace Bruno permanently after an impressive debut on BGT’s series opener last month.
And it sounds like he’s happy to rival Simon Cowell in the ‘straight-talking judge’ stakes.
“I’m pretty cutthroat,” says KSI, which stands for Knowledge Strength Integrity.
“I’m pretty real. If I don’t like something, I’ll tell you, even if it physically makes you upset. It is what it is. I’m not really the type of guy that can get swayed by people.
“If I have to be the bad guy, then I’ll happily be the bad guy.”
What would KSI do if he were to take to the stage on BGT?
“I think if I was able to do a fight while rapping, that would be pretty special,” he says. “Imagine I had one of those mics that just clipped in and I’m there just boxing while rapping one of my songs. That would be pretty cool.”
Behind the tough talking, though, the Watford-raised star admits that some of the acts he’s seen in Blackpool have brought out his emotional side.
“It’s quite weird because I didn’t even think someone singing could really bring that out of me,” he says.
“There were definitely emotional moments where I was like, ‘Oh my God, why do I feel like I’m on the verge of tears?’ Obviously, you know, I ain’t crying on TV!
“I knew that if something really spoke to me, I would press the Golden Buzzer. There was also a part of me that was thinking maybe I might troll and press it for someone that doesn’t deserve it, but I decided not to.
“You never know, maybe in future seasons, if they want me back…”
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Despite not knowing any of the other judges before joining the panel, KSI says the vibe between them all has been great.
“It’s really blessed, super chill, super easy,” he says.
“I think because I was new they weren’t too hard on me. I guess I just bring a different aura, and I feel like it’s quite infectious. When I’m there, there’s a different energy.
“I really enjoyed it and it’d be cool if they want me back.”
So, no arguments with Simon over which acts to put through?
“No, no, if anything, he was quite on my wavelength,” says KSI. “He was like, ‘Oh, finally, someone who doesn’t just agree with everything.”
With so many different strings to his bow, KSI finds it difficult to choose which aspect of his career gives him the biggest buzz.
“It’s hard because it depends on the mood I’m in,” he says.
“Right now, I’m enjoying boxing, I’m enjoying the training.
“But then sometimes I’m in a music head and I want to perform or write songs. Or there’s times where I just want to be in the YouTube videos and have fun and make a fool of myself.
Even more TV for KSI
The second series of KSI’s game show with the Sidemen, InSIDE – in which 10 people stay in a house for a week and compete for a £1m prize fund – is coming to Netflix on 17 March (the first will also be on Netflix), and he’s delighted that the streamer wanted the show.
“Me and my mates were over the moon,” he says. “We saw the first season get crazy numbers and Netflix were like: ‘Yeah, we want every bit of this.’ So it’s awesome. I think the future of it is getting normal people, rather than influencers, because then we’ll get even more crazy reactions.”
And, perhaps surprisingly, KSI doesn’t just watch YouTube and social-media content – he’s a fan of many TV series too.
“I’m watching Severance at the moment,” he reveals. “And I finished Silo. The last season of The Traitors I enjoyed. Watching Beast Games is actually quite entertaining. And then I’ve just watched The Boys and Invincible. I watch a few documentaries on Netflix and sometimes trashy TV, like Love is Blind or Married At First Sight.”
“A lot of people ask me which is better, performing in front of thousands – rapping, singing – or fighting in front of thousands, and I’m like, it’s different. It’s different euphoria.
“If I really wanted to make a lot of money on YouTube, I could, but I’d get bored – I’m more focused on doing what I enjoy.
“My focus isn’t really too much money. Money will come and if you’re good at something and you do well at something, the money will come either way and you’ll be blessed.”
On the subject of boxing, KSI’s been busy preparing for his bout against American mixed-martial-arts fighter Dillon Danis, which will take place on 29 March.
The pair were originally due to meet in January 2023, but Danis pulled out, saying he wasn’t fully prepared.
As a result, KSI – who’s not been in the ring since losing by unanimous decision to Tommy Fury in October 2023 – can’t wait to pull on the gloves, particularly as Danis punched him in the jaw while they were promoting the original fight, and also threw a cup of coffee over him.
“I’m very excited,” he says. “I get to get my own back after what he did to me, dashing me with coffee, and then pulling out two weeks before the fight.
“So it’s nice to be able to get in the ring properly and do way more than what Logan [Paul] did. I know Logan beat him up, but I want to knock him out.”
Once this fight is out of the way, KSI has some other big names in his sights.
“I’d love to get my rematch against Tommy Fury,” he says. “I feel like I definitely won that fight – I think he basically won because of his surname.
“But it’d be good to run that back.
“Conor McGregor is always there as a person to fight, and Jake Paul is always there but, again, he’s terrified of me and he’s doing everything in his ability to not fight me – jumping through hoops and hurdles to not fight me.
“There isn’t really anything else that super-excites me. There’ll be opportunities, but as of right now I’d say those three.”
How about Simon Cowell? It could make for an epic charity fundraiser if KSI were to step into the ring for an exhibition with his BGT boss…
“I think I’d win but I wouldn’t feel good about it,” he laughs. “I’d let Simon win, just to help his ego.”
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