MoistCr1tikal announces “indefinite” hiatus from podcast amid co-host backlash

YouTube star MoistCr1tikal is taking a step back from his activities on The Official Podcast following backlash against his co-host, Kaya, and a viral spat with fellow influencer Sneako.

As told in an announcement sent to The Official Podcast’s Patreon subscribers late on July 30, prominent YouTuber Charles ‘Moistcr1tikal’ White is taking a step back from his podcast, including the Red Thread.

“He wants to go on an indefinite hiatus to scale back his time spent on the internet,” the statement reads. “We obviously wish him the best, for everyone to respect his decision, and for all to know that the show will always be open for him to drop by and talk shop should he wish to return.”

Although the remaining hosts will continue on with the show as normal for the time being, they are considering bringing on a replacement “depending on how things go” in the future.

The Official Podcast, Patreon

This latest news has left MoistCr1tikal’s fanbase equal parts shocked and unsurprised, with some pointing out that the YouTuber had been “quiet” on both shows for some time.

His sudden hiatus follows a few controversial moments for the influencer, who got into a heated feud with controversial personality Sneako over transgender rights earlier in July.

On Reddit, Moist also faced backlash due to a few statements made by his Official Podcast co-host, Kaya, who made a comment about a woman’s polyamorous relationship that users considered “sexist.”

In a following episode, Kaya made a joke regarding underaged girls that left viewers concerned, calling him “creepy.”

Viewers across Reddit called on MoistCr1tikal to respond — but following these incidents and his argument with Sneako, some worry he’s getting burnt out.

“I hope Charlie is alright,” one wrote. “He seemed super stressed ever since he gave his take on trans kids with Sneako and how annoyed he feels with his own chat.”

“I know Kaya’s been under a microscope recently, and it would suck if that had anything to do with it,” another said. “Hard not to feel bummed about such a monumental change to a podcast that you’ve watched every episode of. Hopefully it’s not the beginning of the end.”

Moist went live with a video addressing the situation hours later, citing recent drama like the incidents above as the reason for the pivot.

“Everyone was under the impression that I was quitting the internet,” he said, clarifying any confusion about the statement above. “When the f*** did that happen?” Moist joked, assuring he’s merely stepping away from a few projects, not social media on the whole.

“I was becoming the very thing I’d make fun of, being chronically online. I was just always online and the podcasts were a big proponent of that. I just wanted to scale back the amount of time I spend online.”

“To set the record straight, no, I’m not retiring. All I did was walk away from a couple of projects.”