The YouTuber says “there’s no excuse” for the language and is taking a social media break.
Image source, Getty ImagesYouTuber turned boxer KSI has apologised for making a racist slur in a recent YouTube video.
The 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 Pakistani 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.”
Teacher and broadcaster Mehreen Baig criticised KSI for, 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.”
Image source, Getty Images
KSI found fame with The Sidemen and is regularly involved in their YouTube challenges and sketches.
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.
Their YouTube channel has more than 18 million subscribers, while KSI has 16.2 million followers on the platform.
It comes after KSI featured at WWE’s Wrestlemania this weekend as a mascot in a huge 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.
Newsbeat have contacted representatives for KSI and The Sidemen.
