How YouTuber King Kenny went from 'poor upbringing' in Watford with his 13 siblings to becoming BBC's hottest new star amid Celebrity Traitors stint

He started YouTube at 16, uploading a variety of prank videos and vlogs. But King Kenny faced a speed bump in his career when his camera – borrowed from his mum – broke.

Determined to make it in the industry, it led him to work jobs at McDonald’s and ASDA, in order to save up to buy a new one.

Now, 13 years on, the social media star, whose real name is Kenny Oghenovo Ojuederie, has become BBC’s hottest new talent after his success on Celebrity Traitors.

He has made it to Friday’s final, after being recruited as a Traitor midway through the series.

Industry insiders say he’ll be in high demand after his appearance on the show.

And while Kenny’s career continues to go from strength to strength, his journey to success has been far from easy.

Growing up in a deprived area in Watford, Hertfordshire, as one of 14 children, Kenny experienced significant financial hardship.

Speaking on The Good Enough podcast in 2024, he opened up about his difficult upbringing, revealing how little his family had.

‘My upbringing was horror; I was so poor, I’ll be honest,’ he said.

‘I was so poor, you know, in school when all the kids had Nikes, I had the Admirals from ASDA.

‘My struggle meal was white rice, butter and sweetcorn.’

When questioned about his 13 siblings, Kenny shared: ‘I’ve got 13 siblings, but I reckon my dad has got some more.

‘Especially in Nigeria, I reckon he’s got like a whole family there, in my opinion.’

Kenny embarked on a media studies course at Brunel University of London before launching his YouTube career in 2013.

Uploading a variety of prank videos with friends and vlogs, his popularity began to grow.

In October 2016, he was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence whilst filming one of his pranks in which he was dressed as an evil clown wielding a chainsaw around his university campus. He was later released on bail and apologised, stating he was only chasing his friends who were aware of the prank.

In 2019, he joined The Beta Squad, aka a group of British YouTubers who all lived in a house and created content together, which includes Chunkz, AJ Shabeel, Sharky, and last year's Celebrity Traitors cast member Niko Omilana.

The popular group now boasts more than 11 million subscribers.

Alongside his social media career, he is a keen boxer and has competed in a number of tournaments over the years. However, in May earlier this year, he announced he was retiring from the sport due to an injury in his ribs.

Now, as well as his new TV career, Kenny, 29, has launched his music career.

Timed to perfection, he released his debut single just days before the Celebrity Traitors final, with a nod to his stint on the BBC show in the lyrics.

‘Through the night you had my back until the morning,’ Kenny sings.

‘Murdering plain sight it’s me and you they’re calling.

‘I’ve been running around while I been scheming. So don’t be leaving me for no one else cause I can’t do this by myself.’

He also hired his co-star Romesh Ranganathan to appear in the music video. The comedian plays the role of the getaway driver after a bank heist.

When announced as part of the Celebrity Traitors series two line-up, a large portion of BBC viewers hadn’t heard of Kenny – but a younger audience were thrilled to see him on the line-up.

He started as a Faithful, with Maya Jama, Richard E Grant and James Acaster becoming the first three Traitors on the show.

But around the halfway mark, Kenny was recruited by Maya and James, with the trio gaining the trust of their fellow celebrities and making it to the second final episode this week.

James took centre stage on Thursday night, and in a show first, the comedian revealed he was a Traitor at the roundtable before the vote had even begun.

It leaves Kenny and Maya attempting to secure a win for the Traitors.

Lingering looks and affectionate embraces between the pair have set tongues wagging on the show.

Kenny was travelling to last Friday's mission with Romesh Ranganathan and Sebastian 'Bash' Croft when he raised the prospect of Maya deceiving him.

Still posing as a Faithful, the YouTube star said: 'If Maya is a Traitor, I will never look at her in the same way.'

Romesh immediately replied: 'Well, first of all, I don't believe that for a second.'

The remark sent all three men into laughter and suggested that viewers may not be alone in noticing the pair's growing closeness.

Kenny did little to dispel the speculation later in the episode when the contestants were asked to work in pairs during the 'field of screams' mission.

After Maya chose him as her partner, he replied: 'My lovely darling.'

The exchanges have fuelled speculation among fans, who have been making online edits of moments between the pair, including lingering glances, playful touches and their frequent embraces inside the castle.

Their most affectionate display came when Maya and James invited Kenny to join them as a Traitor.

After accepting the offer, he held Maya's arm before pulling her into a close embrace, while his greeting for James was noticeably more restrained.

However, one source close to the pair has insisted they are just friends. ‘Kenny and Maya have known each other for years. She has previously worked with Beta Squad and appeared in their videos. The pair are just friends and had each other's backs on the show,’ they said.