The influencer has joined the ITV talent show this year as a guest judge
Excitement is building as the new season of Britain’s Got Talent gets underway tonight. The search for the country’s next big talent who will perform at the Royal Variety starts at 7pm on ITV.
Ant and Dec are back as hosts for the 18th season of the popular talent show. Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli will also be back as judges to cast their eye on a new batch of people aiming to prove what they are capable of and progress to the live shows.
However, there will also be a new judge joining the show this year as KSI has stepped in for Strictly Come Dancing’s Bruno for three days of the auditions due to scheduling conflicts. The 31-year-old, whose full real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, explained how he was honoured to step in as a judge on the show.
He told PA: “It was so fun. I just wanted to get as involved as possible and really immerse myself into the space and just enjoy it. And I thoroughly did, the auditions were incredible. There were some incredible singers… who just blew everyone away in front of that audience, it’s just incredible.
He added: “I watched the likes of Susan Boyle and Diversity, so for me, being a guest judge was mind-blowing. And then what really hit me was when I saw my name at the top and just the big X. I was like, oh my god. I’m actually here. What the hell? Like this is ridiculous.
“So the whole situation, the whole moment, was fantastic, and my parents were buzzing. They can’t wait to watch. Even my friends are actually going to watch Britain’s Got Talent. There’s a lot of sick moments. There’s one moment which I know is going to come out and it’s going to go viral, and I’m going to hate it, but it’s very good.”
Becoming a judge on Britain’s Got Talent is the latest achievement in KSI’s flourishing career. The influencer, whose nickname stands for Knowledge Strength Intensity, started out in 2009 as a YouTuber who filmed himself playing FIFA.
He had amassed over 1 million subscribers on the website by 2012 as he was on his way to forging his influencer empire. KSI went on to co-found the popular YouTube group, The Sidemen, and now has over 44 million subscribers across his three channels.
The group, that comprises seven members, appeared on the Sunday Times’ inaugural top 30 Gaming Rich List last year. The group ranked 21st on the list with an estimated fortune of £50m.
YouTube isn’t KSI’s only project as he is also CEO of crossover boxing promotion, Misfits Boxing. He is also the co-founder of Prime Hydration with Logan Paul, the energy drink that has gained a viral following. Britain’s Got Talent starts tonight at 7pm on ITV.
