History WebVideo / Sidemen

* '''WebVideo/{{Zerkaa}}''' (Josh Bradley[[note]]but [[DoNotCallMePaul don't call him that]]; he's Josh ''[[StageNames Zerker]]'' as far as he's concerned[[/note]]): The oldest (though only by mere days ahead of Simon) and usually the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Sideman]], and also the one with the (most prominent) beard. He's also the collective's brand manager.

* TrueCompanions: A huge part of the group's appeal; no matter how much they take the piss out of each other, they're mates at the end of the day. They've even made it clear that even when they make diss tracks against each other, or when four of them were not going to share a house anymore, they're still sticking together making [=YouTube=] content.
* VisualPun: In Tobi's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8HU8Wyuwwk THE SIDEMEN ARE LIARS]] video, there's a zoomed shot of Tobi, Simon, and JJ, and during this shot Tobi [[FreezeFrameBonus briefly]] flashes a picture of an Oreo.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-ph5UbGSYXw#t=1120 As Josh gets out of his car high in the air]] at the wind farm in ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV GTA Online]]'' as he could not hit Ethan on a platform, a blade from the wind turbine hits him and he gets knocked higher into the air. He laughs and says, "I'm flying! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory I'm falling with style!]]"

* WebVideo/{{wroetoshaw}}[[note]]or just "W2S"[[/note]] (Harry Lewis): The youngest and second-most popular Sideman, he hails from [[UsefulNotes/TheChannelIslands Guernsey]]. [[TheFriendsWhoNeverHang He was once known for not hanging with the others as much.]] He joined in early 2014, when the group was still informal.
* '''WebVideo/{{Zerkaa}}''' (Josh Bradley[[note]]but [[DoNotCallMePaul don't call him that]]; he's Josh ''[[StageNames Zerker]]'' as far as he's concerned[[/note]]): The oldest (though only by mere days ahead of Simon) and usually the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Sideman]], and also the one with the beard. He's also the collective's brand manager.

By the end of TheNewTens, the Sidemen became a well-managed online brand with one of the biggest followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers, and it can be argued that they are one of the biggest celebrity groups in the country. Their activities and business ventures have included charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=] annually from 2016 to 2018 and again in 2022, a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. And yet, the group of seven guys still remains pretty tight with one another; despite appearing as VitriolicBestBuds at times--usually each other's {{Butt Monkey}}s as well--they still show [[TrueCompanions a genuine love for each other]] at the end of the day. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

** In ''Cards Against Humanity'', cards bearing the N word are usually organized so the Czar won't have to say the word and instead JJ will come in just to say it.

* EverythingsBetterWithLlamas: [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s6Pp7lnjzPI/hqdefault.jpg This particular hair style]] by JJ in 2016 is commonly referred as the llama hair cut both by the Sidemen themselves and the fans, much to his dismay.

* StageNames: Josh and Tobi claimed that their last names are "Zerker" and "Lerone", respectively, [[DoNotCallMePaul and had been very adamant about this.]] Tobi has since let "Lerone" go, however, since fans now know that Brown is his real surname, but Josh continues to use "Zerker" over his real surname, Bradley.
* StayingWithFriends: From 2014 to 2018, JJ, Simon, Josh and Vik shared a house together, moving into [[BigFancyHouse a large mansion]] in 2016. Nowadays among the group, only JJ and Simon live together. Harry also lives with two close affiliates of the Sidemen, WebVideo/{{Calfreezy}} and Callux.

By the end of TheNewTens, the Sidemen became a well-managed online brand with one of the biggest followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers, and it can be argued that they are one of the biggest celebrity groups in the country. Their activities and business ventures have included charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=] annually from 2016 to 2018 and again in 2022, a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. And yet, the group of seven guys still remains pretty tight with one another; despite appearing as VitriolicBestBuds at times--usually each other's {{Butt Monkey}}s as well--they still [[TrueCompanions a genuine love for each other]] at the end of the day. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

* '''Behzinga''' (Ethan Payne): [[TheHyena The most easily-amused]] ''and'' [[HairTriggerTemper most easily-riled-up]] Sideman. He was also known for being the heaviest Sideman, but is now FormerlyFat and a fitness fanatic. He first met KSI, Simon, Josh, and Tobi the month before the group formed. He was also the one who named the group.[[index]]

The Sidemen, initially formed as the Ultimate Sidemen, are a [[UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom British]] Website/YouTube-based collective of entertainers (previously just [[LetsPlay video game commentators]]) that officially formed on 19 October 2013.

While each of the individual members are previously known for playing various games (mostly ''VideoGame/{{FIFA|Soccer}}''), they have a similarly wide range of games as a group. Previously, they were most known for the "funny moments" compilations of their ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV Grand Theft Auto Online]]'' sessions, most of which involved [[WackyRacing wacky races]] against one another, but they have since expanded to a rotating selection of other games they often play. Outside of gaming, they like to do silly challenges and engage in lots of [[WittyBanter ban]][[WithFriendsLikeThese ter]], serving as VitriolicBestBuds--usually each other's {{Butt Monkey}}s as well--but still showing [[TrueCompanions a genuine love for each other]] at the end of the day.

The group's antics led them to become very popular just a couple years after their formation, and their ascension from beyond the confines of a mere [=YouTube=] group first began in October 2014 (a year after the group formed) with a web video miniseries for Creator/ComedyCentral UK called ''[[http://www.comedycentral.co.uk/the-sidemen-experience The Sidemen Experience]]''.

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures have included charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=] annually from 2016 to 2018 and again in 2022, a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

As a whole, the group has five [=YouTube=] channels as of May 2022; [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDogdKl7t7NHzQ95aEwkdMw their main channel,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh5mLn90vUaB1PbRRx_AiaA a secondary channel,]] a ReactionVideo [[https://www.youtube.com/c/sidemenreacts channel,]] a channel featuring [[https://www.youtube.com/c/SidemenShorts short clips from their videos,]] and even a channel featuring [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Sa3puoXQEsZFgaJOgdidg Spanish-language dubs]] of their old videos. Their official website can be found [[https://www.sidemen.com/ here.]]

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures have included charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=] annually from 2016 to 2018 (with a fourth one coming in 2022), a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

* {{Corpsing}}: JJ breaks character as the host of ''Sidemen Series/FamilyFortunes'' when Jme says that his fancy name tag was inspired by Josh's (whose name tag just his given name written plainly). Tobi lampshades this.

* InsistentTerminology: The Sidemen fanbase on WebOriginal/{{Vine}} has committed to referring to [[{{Shipping}} ships]] as "lanes".

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures have included a(n initial) trilogy of annual charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=], a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures have included a trilogy of annual charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=], a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own [[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service]], and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

[[caption-width-right:350:Warning: May contain banter. [softreturn][[labelnote:Who's who?]] [softreturn]top row: [[WebVideo/{{Zerkaa}} Josh]] [[OnlySaneMan Bradley]], [[Creator/{{KSI}} Olajide]] [[LargeHam "JJ"]] [[ButtMonkey Olatunji]] and [[WebVideo/{{Miniminter}} Simon]] [[CompetitionFreak Minter]]. [softreturn]middle row: WebVideo/{{Vik|kstar123}}[[TokenMinority ram]] [[PluckyComicRelief Barn]] and [[TheHyena Ethan]] [[HairTriggerTemper Payne]]. [softreturn]bottom row: [[WebVideo/{{Wroetoshaw}} Harry]] [[SixthRanger Lew]][[TheFriendsWhoNeverHang is]] and [[TokenGoodTeammate Tobi]] [[TokenReligiousTeammate Brown]].[[/labelnote]] ]]

* '''TBJZL'''[[note]]"Tobjizzle"[[/note]] (Tobi Brown): Near-universally considered [[NiceGuy the nicest]] [[TokenGoodTeammate of the Sidemen]]. He's been friends with Josh below since the beginning of secondary school. [[TokenReligiousTeammate Also quite open of]] [[RealMenLoveJesus his faith]].
* Webvideo/Vikkstar123 (Vik Barn): The highly-productive Sideman [[TokenMinority of Indian descent]] [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers who's not a]] ''VideoGame/{{FIFA|Soccer}}'' [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers gamer like the others.]] Runs three channels. A long-time ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' fan, he's in the pro-am [=eSports=] circuit as part of the London Royal Ravens. He was also known for his ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' content, but he's now branched out to games such as ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 Call of Duty: Warzone]]''. He officially joined the group the month after their formation.[[index]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Warning: May contain banter. [softreturn][[labelnote:Who's who?]] [softreturn]top row: [[WebVideo/{{Zerkaa}} Josh]] [[OnlySaneMan Bradley]], [[Creator/{{KSI}} Olajide]] [[LargeHam "JJ"]] [[ButtMonkey Olatunji]] and [[WebVideo/{{Miniminter}} Simon]] [[CompetitionFreak Minter]]. [softreturn]middle row: WebVideo/{{Vik|star123}}[[TokenMinority ram]] [[PluckyComicRelief Barn]] and [[TheHyena Ethan]] [[HairTriggerTemper Payne]]. [softreturn]bottom row: [[WebVideo/{{Wroetoshaw}} Harry]] [[SixthRanger Lew]][[TheFriendsWhoNeverHang is]] and [[TokenGoodTeammate Tobi]] [[TokenReligiousTeammate Brown]].[[/labelnote]] ]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Warning: May contain banter. [softreturn][[labelnote:Who's who?]] [softreturn]top row: [[WebVideo/{{Zerkaa}} Josh]] [[OnlySaneMan Bradley]], [[Creator/{{KSI}} Olajide]] [[LargeHam "JJ"]] [[ButtMonkey Olatunji]] and [[WebVideo/{{Miniminter}} Simon]] [[CompetitionFreak Minter]]. [softreturn]middle row: [[TokenMinority Vik]][[PluckyComicRelief ram]] [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Barn]] and [[TheHyena Ethan]] [[HairTriggerTemper Payne]]. [softreturn]bottom row: [[WebVideo/{{Wroetoshaw}} Harry]] [[SixthRanger Lew]][[TheFriendsWhoNeverHang is]] and [[TokenGoodTeammate Tobi]] [[TokenReligiousTeammate Brown]].[[/labelnote]] ]]

* [=Vikkstar123=] (Vik Barn): The highly-productive Sideman [[TokenMinority of Indian descent]] [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers who's not a]] ''VideoGame/{{FIFA|Soccer}}'' [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers gamer like the others.]] Runs three channels. A long-time ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' fan, he's in the pro-am [=eSports=] circuit as part of the London Royal Ravens. He was also known for his ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' content, but he's now branched out to games such as ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019 Call of Duty: Warzone]]''. He officially joined the group the month after their formation.[[index]]

* AbsenteeActor:
** Considering that they are a collective, this is to be expected in their videos. For ''[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV GTA Online]]'' in particular, this was dependent on how they edit their own videos. One event, it could be a race between Ethan, Josh, Simon and Vik, the next, Tobi could be taking Vik's place in a Last Team Standing match. Josh later switched to making ''GTA Online'' playlists that last for only three events, so that way their edits would be more consistent. Today, since the group nowadays has an editing and production crew to handle their videos, they do six events per playlist, with three of them covered in each video, and all their more recent ''GTA'' videos together are now published on [=MoreSidemen=] instead.
** When the Sidemen went to EGX 2014 (the event formerly known as the Eurogamer Expo), JJ was not with them. This is due to a prior event between him and the organizers back in 2012, before the Sidemen formed. Since they did not want to leave him behind again, they did not go to any further Eurogamer events afterwards.
** Ever since the inception of Sidemen Sunday, every member of the group would appear in the videos. However, on two separate occasions in 2021, two members were notably absent, after being tested positive for [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19]]:
*** In January, when the Sidemen did a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OchWt4TBhLw&ab_channel=Sidemen hide and seek in a castle]] video, Josh was absent, so one of their regular guests, WebVideo/{{Calfreezy}}, took his place.
*** In July, when it was filmed, but unpublished until August, the group did a video where [[https://youtu.be/WSKAIKqXYqE they would buy and wear one colour for 24 hours,]] Tobi was absent for this exact reason. They also did [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xR1uRU1O8Q a Hide and Seek video in London's most expensive house,]] again without Tobi; Ali-A took his place in the video.
** February 2022 was a particularly bad month for the Sidemen, as each Sidemen Sunday video that month had at least one member absent.

** In Simon's "HOW TO MAKE A HORROR FILM" video, we see Vik (playing [[TheCheerleader the dumb cheerleader]]) running from JJ, who is the killer. We see Vik [[Film/ScaryMovie approach two signs showing "DEATH" and "EXIT", and he chooses the "DEATH" path]].

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures have included a trilogy of annual charity [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] matches against other popular [=YouTubers=], a #1 best-selling book, a [=YouTube=] Premium reality miniseries called ''The Sidemen Show'', an extensive [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing and merchandise brand]], their own ''[[https://www.sideplus.com/ subscription streaming service,]]'' and even their own [[https://twitter.com/eatsides restaurant chain]] and [[https://xixvodka.com vodka brand]]. Not bad for a group of seven guys who just fool around a lot.

Now, the Sidemen have gone from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand with one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, especially among young viewers. Their activities and business ventures include:

* A trilogy of annual charity UsefulNotes/{{association football}} matches against other popular [=YouTubers=] from 2016 to 2018
* The release of a book titled ''Sidemen: The Book'', which became a #1 bestseller
* Their own event in 2016 and 2017 focused on [=YouTube=] content creators called [[http://uploadevent.com/ Upload]][[note]]It was worked on for quite some time by all of the Sidemen except Ethan and Harry, and was built on extensive knowledge of the do's and don'ts of an event that were fueled by past experience and feedback. The event was sold out and took place on the 12 and 13 November 2016, and due to its success, another was held the following year on 9 and 10 September 2017.[[/note]]
* A reality series produced for [=YouTube=] Premium released on 18 June 2018 called ''The Sidemen Show'', which sees the group taking part in challenges around the world and features celebrity guests
* A clothing brand called [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ Sidemen Clothing]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDogdKl7t7NHzQ95aEwkdMw An official Sidemen YouTube channel]], which uploads new videos with all seven members weekly under the name of "Sidemen Sunday"
* A secondary channel titled [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh5mLn90vUaB1PbRRx_AiaA MoreSidemen]], focusing on gameplay videos, clip compilations, behind-the-scenes footage and other content, including a compliment to "Sidemen Sunday" called "Sidemen Saturday"
* A third channel titled [[https://www.youtube.com/c/sidemenreacts SidemenReacts]], focusing on [[ReactionVideo them reacting to videos]]
* A fourth channel titled [[https://www.youtube.com/c/SidemenShorts SidemenShorts]], which uploads funny clips from Sidemen videos usually under a minute in length
* A subscription service for the group called [[https://www.sideplus.com/ Side+]]
* A restaurant chain called -- wait for it -- [[https://twitter.com/eatsides Sides]]
* A vodka brand called [[https://xixvodka.com/ XIX Vodka]]

Their official website can be found [[https://www.sidemen.com/ here.]]

* A [[https://www.sidemenclothing.com/ clothing brand]] called "Sidemen Clothing"

The group's antics led them to become very popular just a couple years after their formation, turning from an informal collective group that initially existed as a simple Rockstar Games Social Club crew into a well-managed online brand that's grown exceedingly popular with various audiences, especially young viewers in their home country.

Their ascension from beyond the confines of a mere [=YouTube=] group first began in October 2014 (a year after the group formed) with a web video miniseries for Creator/ComedyCentral UK called ''[[http://www.comedycentral.co.uk/the-sidemen-experience The Sidemen Experience]]''. Now, they have amassed one of the most prominent followings in the UK [=YouTube=] scene, with their activities and business ventures including:

--->'''Ethan''': ''That's how I know'' that you shouldn't have a book![[labelnote:context]]After JJ attempted to insult Ethan by telling him to drink asbestos.[[/labelnote]]

--->'''Ethan (laughing)''': I'm a troll!\\
'''Josh''': Who're you trolling, yourself?\\
'''Ethan''': Yes!

--->'''Josh''': That means you're bad.\\
'''Simon''': Why?\\
'''Josh''': Because you definitely ate a gingerbread man.\\
'''Simon''': It wasn't alive.\\
'''Josh''': How do ''you'' know?\\
'''Simon''': Oh my God, you're an idiot.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Josh's character in ''Skate 3'' has a purple mohawk.