THE Sidemen found fame through their YouTube channel.
The group of friends have gone from strength to strength and their popularity continues to grow.
Who are the Sidemen?
The Sidemen are a group of British YouTube stars.
The group was formed in 2013 when all but one member got together to film themselves playing video games.
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Their Sidemen channel has 19.1 Million subscribers and over 5 billion video views (as of September 2023).
The group is made up of Josh Bradley, Simon Minter, Tobi Brown, KSI, Ethan Payne, Vikram Barn and Harry Lewis.
Josh Bradley
Josh is professionally known as Zerkaa and began uploading to YouTube in 2008.
He was born on September 4, 1992, in Bermondsey, South London.
Josh went to Bexely Grammar School where he met fellow Sideman Tobi Brown.
Josh initially posted gameplay videos Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gameplay video but progressed into posting FIFA and other football-related videos.
Up until 2014, Josh rarely showed his face on camera and was often seen hidden behind a mask.
Simon Minter
Simon Minter was born September 7, 1992, and is known online as Miniminter.
Simon went to school with KSI as a young boy, reportedly they did not like each other initially and even had a physical fight.
Their teacher broke up the fight and tried to get the pair to be friends and they have been close ever since.
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The YouTuber dropped out of uni after three months and has since built a successful career through YouTube since December 2012.
In the beginning, Simon would post mainly Grand Theft Auto V and Cards Against Humanity videos.
The busy YouTuber now works across six channels, which includes his own, plus Sidemen.
Tobi Brown
Tobit Brown was born on April 8, 1993, in Hackney, London and is of Nigerian heritage.
He is known online as TBJZL and he joined YouTube while studying at university after seeing his friend's success.
Tobi completed his degree and became a full-time YouTuber after uni.
He uploads video game commentaries, most notably of the FIFA and NBA 2K video game series, as well as football challenges, vlogs, and comedy style videos.
In June 2018, Tobi founded a streetwear brand called ILLVZN.
KSI
KSI was born on June 19, 1993, and is also a rapper, comedian and actor.
His real name is Olajide William "JJ" Olatunji.
KSI went to school with fellow Sideman Miminiter at the Independent Berkhamsted School.
KSI - which stands for knowledge, strength, integrity - first arrived on the YouTube scene in 2009, originally posting videos about FIFA.
Since his humble beginnings on YouTube, he has gone on to become co-owner of Prime Hydration and CEO of Misfits Boxing.
Ethan Payne
Ethan was born in London on June 20, 1995, and was raised mostly by his mother.
He is known professionally as Behzinga.
He produces videos on gaming, football, comedy, and fitness, and is a co-founder and member of Sidemen.
Ethan co-founded XIX Vodka and a restaurant chain called Sides with the other Sidemen members.
In 2019, Ethan was listed as the 31st most influential online creator in the UK by The Sunday Times.
Vikram Barn
Vikram Barn was born on August 2, 1995, and is better known as Vikkstar123.
He uploaded his first YouTube video in 2010, after playing games with his friends.
This prompted him to start watching other YouTubers and then create videos of his own.
Eventually, he decided to launch his own channel and then joined the Sidemen in 2013.
Harry Lewis
The youngest member of the Sidemen, Harry Lewis was born on November 24, 1996, in Guernsey.
He grew up in the Channel Islands with his parents and younger siblings.
He initially had several YouTube channels on which he'd experiment with different ideas.
Eventually, he set up his main channel wroetoshaw.
Harry created this name from FIFA and it is a combination of the players Nicky Wroe and Tom Bradshaw.
He dropped out of school at 17 and decided to pursue YouTube as a full-time job.
What do Sidemen do on YouTube?
In the beginning, the group would post videos of them playing games together.
They later branched out to share comedic skits, pranks and other content.
Since January 2018, they have uploaded weekly videos to their group channel under the banner of Sidemen Sunday.
Sidemen also have a huge presence on Instagram with 5.6 million followers and 19.1 million subscribers on YouTube.
What is the net worth for the Sidemen?
The group has a net worth between $10 million and $20 million.
They generate their cash through the following:
- Sponsorship deals – Big brands are keen to advertise with the Sidemen due to their large audience.
- YouTube Ads – these are the ads that appear before videos and can be a big earner if your viewing figures are in the millions. According to Socialblade.com, Sidemen’s YouTube channel earns between £189,500 to £ 3 million per year.
- Merchandise Sales – Their clothing range is another big earner for the group, and earns them about £ 2 million per year.