TV Show Canceled After Host’s Racist Slur Scandal

The BBC is not moving forward with its planned show with UK-based YouTuber, rapper, and boxer JJ “KSI.” The corporation has reportedly canceled the upcoming series amid KSI’s ongoing controversy surrounding his use of a racial slur in a recent Sidemen Sunday video uploaded last month.

KSI was reportedly set to have his own entertainment series, the details of which remain scarce, with BBC and had allegedly been in “early talks” with the corporation “for a big money turn on mainstream TV.” However, an insider told The Sun on Wednesday that “the BBC has decided not to go forward with the programme after the controversy.” The source added, “it can’t be seen to endorse anything like that and bosses were as shocked and disappointed by the slur as everyone else.” The BBC has not independently confirmed the news.

The decision not to move forward with the planned series follows an April 2 YouTube video KSI uploaded. A spoof of Channel 4 gameshow Countdown, the video saw the YouTube star and his group the Sidemen (including Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S), attempting to create the longest word they could from nine letters picked at random. KSI suggested the word “p-ki,” stating, “Alright, look, we need points, and I don’t mean this maliciously,” before stating the word, which was censored in the posted video. The term has historically been deemed racist against South Asians.

Although the BBC allegedly was in part interested in working with KSI because “he’s edgy and has the attention of a lot of young people,” per an insider, the recent controversy has made the corporation shy away. The insider explained, “But that’s also why they’ve been rocked by what’s happened recently, because he might just be a bit too edgy. And with so many young eyes on him, they don’t want someone with potential to be a bad influence to be given a platform on the Beeb. Meetings are continuing and uncomfortable execs are considering whether he might have gone too far.”

Amid the backlash to the YouTube video, KSI has apologized. In a tweet, the rapper 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. Im 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.” KSI has not addressed reports of BBC backing away from the show.