Kiwi YouTuber cuts ties to cheating website

COMEDIAN Jimi Jackson, right, has taken down his video, sponsored by a pay-for-grades website purporting to do students’ work for them.

The New Zealand social media influencer, and star of Ma¯ori Television’s Jimi’s World, had posted on YouTube two weeks ago with a new video that included ads for a well-known essay-writing website. His decision to take money from that company received harsh criticism.

Jackson confirmed yesterday that the video had been pulled. He said he refunded them the money.

‘‘I never really looked into it, as many social media influences had worked with them, but will be sure to never again,’’ he said.

The company offered Arabic reports as well as reports in Canadian, American, British and Australian English. It even had an iPhone app.

Newshub journalist Patrick Gower had hit out at Jackson on Friday night.

‘‘You are a disgrace, you need to take a long hard look at what you’re doing,’’ Gower said, in a stinging editorial addressed to the comedian live on television.

‘‘You are actually hurting vulnerable students... You are in the gutter Jimi Jackson, you need to get out,’’ he said, after a story about some cheating services blackmailing students. It was not alleged that Jackson’s service was blackmailing cheating students.

Jackson, a YouTuber with more than 320,000 subscribers on that platform alone, has caused controversy in the past.

Last year, he was criticised for appearing with a heavily bronzed face and calling himself ‘‘Jimi Blackson’’ in an Instagram post.

Jackson used derogatory and sexist language for which he came under further pressure.