Britain's Got Talent viewers were left concerned for judge KSI during the live semi-final broadcast this weekend, after the YouTube star appeared to choke on stage. The 32-year-old, who joined the ITV panel as a full-time judge this year, was seen coughing uncontrollably during a break between performances.
Live Show Incident
After an advertisement break, hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly addressed the camera while the judges joked among themselves. However, KSI could not stop coughing. He drank water but continued struggling, prompting a wave of worried messages on social media. Fans asked if he was okay, with one writing: 'Was you choking on your water?' Another viewer noted: 'Legit no one even helped him.' Fortunately, KSI—real name Olajide Olayinka Williams 'JJ' Olatunji—recovered and continued with the show, though his voice remained hoarse when commenting on the next act.
Golden Buzzer Controversy
Later in the episode, KSI pressed the Golden Buzzer for daredevil fire-juggler Liwei Yang, sending him directly to the final. However, his choice sparked disagreement among the audience, who chanted for aerial artist Mizuki Shinagawa instead. Many viewers expressed frustration on social media, with one writing: 'What is wrong with KSI? Why didn’t he press the Golden Buzzer for Mizuki? She was incredible!' Despite the backlash, KSI described Yang's performance as 'phenomenal' and 'magical.'
Past Scandal Resurfaces
The incident comes amid a turbulent period for KSI, as a 2012 video resurfaced in which he made a vile joke about rape during a gaming session. In the clip, he told a female character: 'Mate, you’re getting raped. She is so getting raped.' He also said he wanted to 'smack' her 'in the face so hard' and called her a 'dumb b***h,' adding: 'If she gets raped, I’m not even going to feel sorry for her.' The video has since been removed from his channel. Lucy Duckworth of The Survivors Trust condemned the remarks, stating: 'Trivialising rape creates violence and leads to loss of life. You can’t joke about somebody else’s lived experience.' Additionally, a 2017 video of KSI joking about hitting a pregnant woman also emerged. He has not addressed either clip publicly.
Britain's Got Talent continues next Saturday on ITV1 and ITVX.
