AreYouKiddingTV has built its world on a deceptively simple formula: real people, unexpected challenges, sharp comic timing and the kind of reactions that cannot be scripted. What began as a creative partnership between Joey Gizzi and Steven Lannum at Elon University has grown into one of the most recognisable comedy platforms in the digital space, reaching billions of views and attracting a following that now stretches across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
In an era where audiences are increasingly turning to social platforms for entertainment, discovery and cultural moments, AreYouKiddingTV sits firmly at the centre of that shift. Their videos have become a meeting point between creator-led comedy and mainstream celebrity culture, with appearances from names including Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban, MrBeast, Steve Aoki, Ne-Yo, Peyton Manning and Khleo Thomas. Yet beneath the scale of the platform is a format that remains rooted in authenticity. The humour is playful rather than cruel, the reactions are genuine, and the strangers who take part often become the heart of the story.
As traditional media, studios, musicians and brands continue to embrace the creator economy, Joey and Steven have turned AreYouKiddingTV into more than a viral channel. It is becoming a new kind of entertainment platform, one that understands Gen Z humour, the speed of online culture and the power of making people feel part of the joke rather than the target of it. Here, the duo reflect on their beginnings, the value of keeping comedy kind, working with celebrities, and what comes next for AreYouKiddingTV.
You met at Elon University and built a creative friendship before the platform became a business. What did each of you recognise in the other creatively from the beginning?
We both could tell right away that we had a similar sense of humour, which was great to know. We started a late-night talk show in our first year at the college’s television station, which quickly helped us discover each other’s creative strengths and the best ways to work together.
A lot of digital comedy today can feel loud or overproduced, but your content often works because of timing, silence and real human reactions. Was that simplicity intentional from the start?
When we started making content, we both agreed that we wanted to be as authentic as possible. We saw so many creators making overproduced content with fake pranks, reactions and so on. We believed there was a market out there for genuine social experiments that weren’t fake or harming strangers, and we’re glad our decision to go that route ended up working out well.
You’ve been compared to formats like Hot Ones, where celebrities can promote something while still being part of an entertaining concept. How do you balance comedy, promotion and authenticity when working with talent?
Our goal is always to be authentic first with all of our videos. When a celebrity is involved, we like to focus more on the concept and entertainment of the video, and less on what the celebrity is promoting. We believe this actually helps the celebrity more, because the video gets more organic views, the audience appreciates the collaboration, and it brings more attention to the person we are helping promote.
Your channel has featured everyone from Ed Sheeran and Keith Urban to MrBeast, Steve Aoki, Ne-Yo and Peyton Manning. Is there a cameo that completely surprised you in how well it worked?
We made two videos with actor Khleo Thomas, who played Zero in the movie Holes. While we thought fans of the movie would appreciate the videos themed around his character, we were blown away by both videos getting over 15 million views each, with such positive feedback. Khleo is also a very genuine person, and we always love getting to work with him.
You’ve become a go-to platform for musicians, actors and studios looking to reach online audiences. Why do you think traditional entertainment brands are now taking creator-led platforms so seriously?
While it’s probably tough for traditional entertainment brands to move out of their comfort zones, it’s important to adapt with the times. What we do is certainly different from traditional platforms, but there is an opportunity to reach millions of young media consumers, which is why there seems to be more of a shift now towards working with online content creators.
Your videos depend heavily on strangers being willing to engage. After filming so many public challenges, what have you learned about people?
There are so many great people out there with amazing stories, passions and personalities. We’ve learned that a lot of people love showing who they are and competing in fun surprise challenges, and we’re happy to be able to provide those opportunities for them.
Comedy trends online move incredibly fast. How do you stay ahead of what audiences find funny without losing the core identity of the channel?
To be honest, while we do pay attention to what is trending, our focus is more on making content that we believe is entertaining and funny. We always want to make sure we change things up and don’t just keep posting similar concepts over and over, but we feel confident that if we keep having fun and experimenting, our audience is going to stick around and enjoy it.
There’s a kindness to the format, especially because people often win something or become part of a fun moment. How important is it that the comedy never feels mean-spirited?
We always make sure we don’t go too far with the content, because we don’t need to. Our audience seems to appreciate the kindness of the format and watching strangers have fun, so we don’t have any reason to steer away from that.
As a duo, how do you divide the creative process? Is one of you more focused on ideas, production, performance or business, or does everything overlap?
Overall, it’s a team effort. We’ll have meetings to go over any creative concepts we might have come up with on our own, and then work together to turn those ideas into reality. Every week is different, and we might be focusing on different things, but in general, everything overlaps.
You’ve already built a huge digital audience and worked with major names. What does taking AreYouKiddingTV to the next level look like for you now? Is it live shows, long-form content, television, a larger production company, or something completely different?
We’re constantly exploring how we can take our brand to the next level while continuing to do what we are doing now. We’ve done a few live shows that worked very well, and we’ve hired more people to help with larger productions. We’ve also been looking into how we could bring our concept into a larger-scale TV show. It’s always exciting to keep thinking of new ways to expand in the future.
