Sam Pepper Permanently Banned After Firework Hits Girl at Diwali
Controversial British streamer Sam Pepper has been booted for good from streaming site Kick following a shocking stunt during Diwali celebrations in New Delhi that left an eight-year-old girl injured. The former Big Brother star, 36, fired fireworks straight into a crowd during a live broadcast on October 20, 2025, striking the youngster near her eye.
The horrifying clip, viewed over two million times on social media, shows Pepper celebrating with a fist pump mere seconds after the firework hit the girl. Witnesses immediately confronted him, fearing the worst. Pepper later admitted the child suffered a cut above her eyebrow that needed stitches.
Diwali Firework Fiasco Caught on Live Stream
Streaming from Chandni Chowk in bustling New Delhi, Pepper was filming the Hindu festival fireworks when disaster struck. Video footage shows him eagerly firing Roman candle-style rockets at passersby before one rockets right into the young girl’s face, causing chaos.
“Oh my God!” Pepper gasps on camera, followed by a now-infamous fist pump he later called “stupid.”
Local bystanders rushed to the scene, whisking the injured girl away on a motorbike to hospital. Some shouted she’d lost an eye and demanded Pepper take responsibility for the recklessness.
Apology Falls Flat as Pepper Downplays Injury
More than a month later, Pepper issued a tweet apology but tried to minimise the damage.
“Was in India with a big group firing small firecrackers back and forth,” he wrote. “One of the group got hit by a cracker I shot and got a cut above their eyebrow. They got a paper stitch and are now home. I feel terrible. Sorry to the girl I hurt.”
Fans and critics were outraged. Many blasted him for calling the injury “just a cut” after earlier bragging about a “headshot.” The stunt was widely condemned as reckless, dangerous, and deeply disrespectful during a sacred festival.
Kick and Crypto Platform Crack Down
Known for lax rules, Kick surprised many by acting fast — permanently banning Pepper for violating safety guidelines.
“We take real-world harm seriously. Pepper’s actions endangered lives,” a Kick spokesperson said.
The ban blocks Pepper from creating any new accounts to dodge restrictions. Crypto app Pump.fun followed suit, booting him hours after the footage went viral.
This is a brutal financial hit for Pepper, who relies on livestreaming and crypto promos as major income sources. His 1.2 million-subscriber YouTube channel remains active but faces an uncertain future as monetisation is reviewed.
Another Chapter in Sam Pepper’s Stormy History
This latest fiasco is far from Pepper’s first scandal. Bursting onto the scene in 2014 with “kissing strangers” prank videos, he soon drew fire for consent controversies. He quit Big Brother UK in 2018 amid assault allegations he denied.
Now, social media users have rallied behind the #BanSamPepper campaign, branding him a reckless tourist exploiting Indian culture for views.
On Reddit’s r/criticalthinkingindia, comments slammed the stunt as “child endangerment” and “Diwali disrespect.” One user summed it up:
“Reckless tourist exploits festival for views; girl could have died.”
Girl Recovering, Police Take Civil Route
The injured girl is reportedly recovering well at home. Indian police have classified the case as civil, so Pepper faces no criminal charges. Critics remain disappointed, arguing that firing fireworks at a child’s face should carry harsher consequences.
Medical experts said the girl was lucky to avoid permanent blindness. Pepper promised he “won’t be doing anything stupid like this again,” though many remain sceptical given his past.
Platforms Draw the Line on Dangerous Stunts
The hardline bans from Kick and Pump.fun mark a new era where content creators face real consequences for dangerous antics. As scrutiny of influencer behaviour steps up, Sam Pepper’s Diwali disaster may be the wake-up call the industry needs to stop reckless viral stunts before more lives are put at risk.
