The Sidemen, a group of YouTube superstars, have launched their own reality show, Inside, where 10 influencers compete for a prize worth up to £1 million. The first episode, released on Sunday, garnered over four million views on YouTube within 24 hours. Contestants include Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, Made In Chelsea‘s Liv Bentley, and YouTuber Joe Weller.
Inspired by successful reality TV formats like Big Brother, Inside aims to provide stiff competition for Love Island, which recently returned to TV. The Sidemen, including content creator, rapper, and boxer KSI, boast a collective 130 million YouTube subscribers. Their new venture combines professional production with their signature chaotic style, promising a fresh take on reality TV.
Reality TV Inspired by Childhood Favorites
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Vik Barn (aka Vikkstar123) explained their motivation:
“We’ve always grown up in the UK and watched reality TV throughout our whole childhoods, from Big Brother to Love Island to I’m a Celebrity.”
Barn, who grew up in Sheffield, further added,
“We were thinking, ‘OK, this year, what is our new project?’ Why not have a stab at our own spin on a reality TV show?”
Describing Inside as “a bit more raw” than traditional reality TV, Barn noted it mirrors their video style where they “hit record and see what happens“. The show aims to blend a professionally produced look with the unique chaos only the Sidemen can create, setting it apart from more conventional formats like Big Brother, which imposes stricter behavior guidelines.
Fiendish Challenges and Prize Reductions
In Inside, the Sidemen serve as hosts and executive producers, subjecting contestants to challenging tasks that can reduce the £1 million prize pot. Additionally, contestants can spend from the prize fund at an in-house shop, where luxuries come at steep prices. For example, hot showers cost £100 per minute, tea bags are £100 each, and crisps and fizzy drinks are £500 each.
“Depending on how that week goes, how much they indulge themselves, we will see how much money the winner or winners will take at the end of the show,” Barn stated. In the first episode, one challenge required contestants to keep their hands on a desk while rats, spiders, and snakes were released. Another task saw Australian TikTok star Leah Halton deciding whether to keep her hands in place while being given a tattoo.
Rating Battle with Love Island
Inside aims to rival ITV’s Love Island, which recently made a return with an opening episode where contestants ranked each other based on “boyfriend and girlfriend material”. The Sidemen’s new reality show offers a fresh take on the genre, drawing comparisons to the popular TV series. Impressively, the first episode of Inside has already outperformed Love Island, which had 2.3 million viewers in the UK.
The Sidemen are also encouraging fans to subscribe for bonus content leading up to the final on Sunday. They are not alone in launching big-money game shows; MrBeast, the world’s most popular YouTuber, recently announced Beast Games with a $5 million (£3.9 million) prize, available on Amazon Prime Video.
New Era of Reality TV
The Sidemen’s launch of Inside marks a new era in reality TV, blending traditional formats with the dynamic influence of YouTube stars. The show, with its unique challenges and substantial prize, is poised to capture global attention. Its innovative approach sets it apart from conventional reality shows.
As internet celebrities continue to blur the lines with mainstream media, shows like Inside represent the future of entertainment. They deliver fresh and engaging content tailored for a modern audience. This fusion of internet culture and traditional media is redefining how we consume entertainment.
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