# Behzinga
**Behzinga** is the online alias of **Ethan Leigh Payne** (born 1995), an English YouTuber, streamer and fitness influencer who is a founding member of the British creator group The Sidemen. His two main channels, Behzinga and Beh2inga, carry more than six million subscribers combined, and his content has shifted from [FIFA](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-video-game-series) and [Call of Duty](https://www.edgepedia.org/call-of-duty) gaming commentary toward fitness, lifestyle and challenge formats.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / alias | Ethan Leigh Payne, known online as Behzinga (Behz)[1](https://www.biyografya.com/en/biographies/behzinga-5e622b32) |
| Born | 1995, East London, England; grew up without a father figure[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) |
| Channels | Behzinga created February 2012; Beh2inga created August 2013[3](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga) |
| Audience | Over 16.2 million followers across platforms; 4.8 million-plus subscribers and 550 million-plus views on the main channel per his management[4](https://www.uploadagency.com/talent/behzinga) • [5](https://www.optalent.com/talent/behzinga) |
| Group role | Founding member of The Sidemen (seven members, over 100 million fans), founded 19 October 2013[6](https://www.sidemen.com/) |
| Signature arc | Lost 30 kg in two years after a planned boxing match that never took place; ran the London Marathon for Teenage Cancer Trust[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) |
| Television | *How To Be: Behzinga* (YouTube Originals, 2020); *Inside* (Netflix, 2024 and 2025, with the Sidemen)[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) • [7](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/inside-season-2-release-date-news?inapp=true) |
| Management | OP Talent Management (Liam Chivers, James Humphrys, Laura Allington)[5](https://www.optalent.com/talent/behzinga) |
## Career and channels
Payne created his YouTube account in February 2012 and posted gaming commentary, primarily on FIFA.[3](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga) His humorous commentary attracted a following, and in 2013 he launched a second channel, Beh2inga, for other games such as GTA 5.[8](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ethan-payne-29717.php) The second channel held about 2.1 million subscribers and 331.4 million views before its upload schedule slowed; in a 2020 interview Payne said it had become a "relic" that he had largely abandoned.[9](https://www.vlogfund.com/en/youtube-channels/beh2inga/) • [3](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga) As of 2026, trackers list the main channel at about 4.91 million subscribers and 588 million total views.[10](https://vidiq.com/youtube-stats/channel/%40behzinga/)
His most viewed video on the main channel is the music video for "Drama", a Sidemen-era diss track in which he criticized KSI's channel as outdated.[3](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga) • [11](https://pure.hud.ac.uk/ws/files/70550548/FELIX_thesis.pdf) A University of Huddersfield thesis on diss-track culture cites his lyrics in "Drama" as an example of the genre moving from crude insult toward specific, topical criticism.[11](https://pure.hud.ac.uk/ws/files/70550548/FELIX_thesis.pdf)
**From gaming to fitness.** A 2026 profile of his output describes the channel's evolution from gaming-heavy uploads to structured transformation series and vlogs, with long-form fitness series such as *Behzinga's Fitness Journey* and marathon-training vlogs documenting his move from gaming creator to endurance athlete.[12](https://www.ad-hoc-news.de/boerse/news/ueberblick/behzinga-and-the-format-range-on-youtube/69615625)
## The Sidemen
The Sidemen, formed on 19 October 2013, are a seven-member British YouTube collective described on their own site as the biggest YouTube collective in Europe, with over 100 million fans and billions of views.[6](https://www.sidemen.com/) According to the group's fan wiki, on Josh Bradley's 21st birthday in 2013 the founding four watched a stream from Payne and invited him into the group, forming "The Original Five" before W2S and [Vikkstar123](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikkstar123) joined.[13](https://sidemen.fandom.com/wiki/Sidemen) Netflix describes the group as seven internet personalities with more than 130 million subscribers between them.[7](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/inside-season-2-release-date-news?inapp=true)
Within the group Payne's role leans into comedy and competitive challenges, and his solo uploads frequently cross over with Sidemen productions.[12](https://www.ad-hoc-news.de/boerse/news/ueberblick/behzinga-and-the-format-range-on-youtube/69615625) He has taken part in the group's Sidemen Charity Match, a fixture described by a 2025 industry report as blending competitive sport, entertainment and charity.[14](https://storage.kidsindustries.com/KI-Spotlight-April%202025.pdf)
## Fitness journey and documentary
The transformation that defines his public profile began with an eagerly awaited boxing match that never actually happened, which pushed him onto a fitness journey that changed his life, mental wellbeing and attitude.[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) Over two years he lost 30 kg.[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/)
In October 2020, timed to Mental Health Awareness Day, YouTube Originals launched *How To Be: Behzinga*, a three-part documentary series following his journey from overweight gamer to endurance athlete with the goal of running the London Marathon for Teenage Cancer Trust.[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) In the series he discussed struggles with undiagnosed depression and negative thoughts, and stated in a 2020 video that he had contemplated ending his life.[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) His agency credits the journey with leading to a sportswear athlete signing, an ambassadorship with a nutrition brand, and the marathon run.[5](https://www.optalent.com/talent/behzinga) Influencer Matchmaker identifies the sportswear brand as Gymshark.[15](https://influencermatchmaker.co.uk/influencer/ethan-payne-behzinga)
## Television and events
In 2024 the Sidemen premiered *[Inside](https://www.edgepedia.org/inside-tv-series)*, a long-form reality series described by Netflix as record-breaking, in which contestants took on challenges for a chance to win £1 million (approximately $1.3 million); a second season, exclusive to Netflix, followed in 2025.[7](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/inside-season-2-release-date-news?inapp=true) A February 2024 Netflix documentary, *The Sidemen Story*, gave fans access to the group's history.[16](https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/who-is-miniminter-the-sidemen-members-career-explained-2782915/)
Payne has also played in charity football events beyond the Sidemen's own matches: he joined Team KSI x [AboFlah](https://www.edgepedia.org/aboflah) at Match for Hope 2025 in Qatar, and signed up for the Dagenham & Redbridge and West Ham United Legends game in aid of the DT38 testicular cancer foundation.[17](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2025/02/04/main-20250204-1.pdf?ts=005756) • [18](https://dt38.org/news/daggers-v-hammer-legends-match-to-raise-funds-for-dt38-tickets-on-sale-now/)
## Reach and recognition
His management lists over 16.2 million followers across platforms.[4](https://www.uploadagency.com/talent/behzinga) In UA92's football-focused Influence Index he ranked seventh among sports content creators, with 3,137,000 followers and an influence score of 2.97 out of a possible 5.[19](https://ua92.ac.uk/football/influence-index/)
## Personal life
Payne resides in Essex, England.[3](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga) He studied games development at college, where he channeled his energies after a disruptive school record, and his mother Ruth raised him alone after surviving cancer during his teenage years.[2](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/) With Faith Kelly, he welcomed a daughter, Olive Ottilie Payne, in September 2022; the couple announced their engagement in April 2024 and married in December 2024.[20](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/behzinga.html?source=post_page---------------------------)
## References
1. [Behzinga, Biyografya](https://www.biyografya.com/en/biographies/behzinga-5e622b32)
2. [YouTube Originals: How To Be: Behzinga launches on October 19, The Fan Carpet](https://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/in-the-lead-up-to-mental-health-awareness-day-on-october-10-youtube-originals-how-to-be-behzinga-launches-on-october-19/)
3. [behzinga, Wikitubia](https://youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Behzinga)
4. [Behzinga, Upload Talent Agency](https://www.uploadagency.com/talent/behzinga)
5. [Behzinga, OP Talent Management](https://www.optalent.com/talent/behzinga)
6. [Sidemen, official site](https://www.sidemen.com/)
7. [The Sidemen Are Inside Netflix for Season 2, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/inside-season-2-release-date-news?inapp=true)
8. [Ethan Payne Bio, The Famous People](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ethan-payne-29717.php)
9. [Beh2inga channel stats, VlogFund](https://www.vlogfund.com/en/youtube-channels/beh2inga/)
10. [Behzinga YouTube Stats, vidIQ](https://vidiq.com/youtube-stats/channel/%40behzinga/)
11. [Chapter 3: History of Diss Tracks, University of Huddersfield thesis](https://pure.hud.ac.uk/ws/files/70550548/FELIX_thesis.pdf)
12. [Behzinga and the format range on YouTube, ad-hoc-news.de](https://www.ad-hoc-news.de/boerse/news/ueberblick/behzinga-and-the-format-range-on-youtube/69615625)
13. [Sidemen, Sidemen Wiki (Fandom)](https://sidemen.fandom.com/wiki/Sidemen)
14. [KI Spotlight, April 2025, Kids Industries](https://storage.kidsindustries.com/KI-Spotlight-April%202025.pdf)
15. [Ethan Payne - Behzinga, Influencer Matchmaker](https://influencermatchmaker.co.uk/influencer/ethan-payne-behzinga)
16. [Who is Miniminter? The Sidemen member's career explained, Dexerto](https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/who-is-miniminter-the-sidemen-members-career-explained-2782915/)
17. [Match for Hope 2025 team line-ups revealed, Gulf Times](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2025/02/04/main-20250204-1.pdf?ts=005756)
18. [Daggers v Hammers legends match to raise funds for DT38, DT38 Foundation](https://dt38.org/news/daggers-v-hammer-legends-match-to-raise-funds-for-dt38-tickets-on-sale-now/)
19. [Influence Index, UA92](https://ua92.ac.uk/football/influence-index/)
20. [Ethan Payne, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/behzinga.html?source=post_page---------------------------)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Online creators and internet personalities › Gaming content creators*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license