YouTuber PewDiePie sorry for calling Singapore, Malaysia fans ‘crazy’ and ‘scream-ish’

Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie said he is sorry for comments that he made about Malaysian and Singaporean fans.

In a video posted on January 5, Felix Kjellberg, better known by his handle PewDiePie, responded to recent news reports where he described fans in Singapore and Malaysia as “hectic” and “scream-ish”.

“It was something that I’ve learned I personally do not enjoy but I would be lying if I said I hated it when it happened the first time,” he said.

He appreciated the significance of being widely recognised by fans at that time.

“YouTube wasn’t really a thing back then. It was not recognised by the media or anyone. So to see the effect on fans back then, was kinda cool to see, you know. I just wanted to point that out. I’m sorry if I was a little harsh to you, Singapore and Malaysia.”

Kjellberg also clarified his earlier comments, saying he was actually comparing fan cultures in different regions in the original video.

He had said that fans in Asia tend to do crazier things when they see him compared to fans in Scandinavian countries like Sweden, who are more reserved and calm.

He also explained why he was unhappy during his visit in Malaysia with then-girlfriend (now wife) Marzia Bisognin back in 2016. Kjellberg was in Kuala Lumpur for a personal holiday.

“The reason I was so annoyed in Malaysia was because people were literally entering our hotel and we could not leave our hotel because people were looking for us. It felt like we were being hunted almost,” he shared.

Kjellberg’s holiday in Malaysia sent fans into a frenzy as users relied on social media to track his whereabouts. A local YouTuber posted a video depicting how he went around Kuala Lumpur looking for Kjellberg and his wife by looking at their tagged photos on Instagram.

While in Singapore, Kjellberg said the fan experience was “absolute madness” as he was met with screaming fans at his hotel entrance back in 2013. He also had fans chasing him for selfies as he walked around town. In one situation, Kjellberg shared that he went down to the lobby to get his card activated and there were a hundred fans waiting for him.

He added: “I was being a bit dishonest when I spoke about Singapore because actually, the first time I got recognised in Singapore, that was a huge thing for me. I’d never been recognised as a ‘celebrity’ before. Quotation mark.”

Kjellberg is the most popular YouTuber on the platform with over 102 million subscribers. His content ranges from making humorous commentaries on internet culture to playing video games.

Read the original article at The Star Online here