Britain’s Got Talent faces backlash as new judge’s sexist and racist comments resurface

ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent has travel nether occurrence aft caller justice KSI’s past derogatory comments resurfaced.

The YouTube star, 31, joins the sheet for the show’s 2025 series, sitting alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Alesha Dixon.

He primitively signed connected arsenic a impermanent replacement for Bruno Tonioli, whose commitments successful the US for Dancing With The Stars clashed with the archetypal batch of filming this autumn.

Arrangements person since changed, however, as Simon has stepped down from auditions for the clip being in the aftermath of Liam Payne’s death, with Bruno returning and sitting down the judges’ table with Amanda and Alesha, positive KSI.

Auditions resumed successful Blackpool yesterday; however, the upcoming bid plummeted into further chaos amid disapproval of KSI’s signing.

The societal media influencer – existent sanction Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji -previously made sexist and racist remarks, which were called retired by the president of Parliament’s Culture, Media, and Sport committee past night.

Addressing ITV signing the star, who boasts 24million subscribers and is worthy a whopping £34million, Dame Caroline Dinenage said: ‘KSI intelligibly brings a full caller assemblage to Britain’s Got Talent.

‘But successful the contention for ratings, surely ITV are questioning whether his backmost catalogue of unsavoury comments truly represents the values that they are keen to beforehand successful a household show.’

The comments made see the clip KSI described a pistillate vlogger arsenic ‘bangable’.

He added: ‘There’s truthful galore guys that would destruct her’. 

In different since-deleted video, KSI spoke astir wanting to person enactment with a co-star’s sister.

‘I privation to research her p***y. She’s going to ticker this and beryllium like, “I need a spot of achromatic d**k”,’ helium said.

KSI, whose initials correspond Knowledge, Strength, and Integrity, has besides been condemned by the End Violence Against Women coalition.

They slammed his ‘rape face’ videos, arsenic helium called them. These videos featured KSI making sexually suggestive gestures with a menacing look connected his face.

Just past year, helium uploaded a situation video inspired by Channel 4’s Countdown successful which helium spelt retired the racist word ‘P**i’.

BBC presenter Bobby Friction criticised it astatine the time, penning online: ‘I had this radical slur thrown astatine me… for my full childhood. Genuinely upset that KSI (a feline my children love) did this & thought it was funny.’ 

KSI aboriginal apologised and antecedently spoke candidly astir his regrets, saying of his past: ‘Sometimes the biggest mistakes we marque are our top lessons.’

He besides said astatine the time: ‘There are nary excuses for what I said, and I recognise that my actions person caused wounded and disappointment to galore people.

‘My ignorance and insensitivity person lone reinforced the antagonistic stereotypes and prejudices that person existed for acold excessively long.

‘I privation to explicit my heartfelt regret for my actions, and I privation you to cognize that I americium genuinely ashamed and profoundly atrocious for immoderate symptom oregon suffering I person caused.

‘I realise that my words person consequences, and arsenic a nationalist figure, I person a work to usage my level for good, alternatively than perpetuating hatred oregon discrimination.’

It’s present understood by Metro that KSIunderstands the harm his words caused, arsenic a root adjacent to him said: ‘KSI understands that words person consequences, and helium has demonstrated done his actions helium is dedicated to making amends and utilizing his level for good.

‘In the past twelvemonth alone, his influence, foundation work, and committedness to self-improvement supply wide grounds that helium has learned from his mistakes and is moving to beryllium a unit for affirmative change.’

The insider added: ‘He has owned his mistakes and continues to strive to bash amended and beryllium better.

‘Those adjacent to him cognize him to beryllium the kindest, astir supportive, charitable, and generous young antheral who ever wants to usage his fame to assistance others.’

Part of KSI’s foundation enactment progressive collaborating with the Anthony Walker Foundation. Then, successful 2023, of his ain accord, helium sought retired Imam Muhammed Asim Hussain, visiting a mosque successful Bradford to amended recognize the gravity of his mistakes.

In contrast, though, KSI is hoping to beryllium the atrocious feline connected the adjacent bid of BGT.

Speaking aft his relation was revealed, assemblage members claimed helium was utilizing mayhem connected set, peculiarly with kids.

Appearing connected Amanda’s Heart meal show, KSI teased helium would beryllium a BGT ‘villain’.

‘I’ve kicked Bruno out, and I’m taking his place! Actually, he’s coming back, but I’m determination for a small bit. Yeah, it’s going to beryllium fun, man. I’m going to justice immoderate talent,’ helium said.

ITV has been contacted for comment.

Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV1 and ITV successful 2025.

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