If you haven’t stumbled upon AreYouKiddingTV in your endless scroll through TikTok or YouTube, where have you been? Joey Gizzi and Steven Lannum are the masterminds behind the wildly viral video series that has taken social media by storm. Their videos—ranging from absurdly entertaining public challenges to celebrity-filled collaborations—have amassed over 1.5 billion views on YouTube and a 10M+ strong following across TikTok and Instagram.
But Joey and Steven aren’t just about laughs and views. They’re using their platform to give back, proving that social media can be a force for good. Their new interview series SILENT INTERVIEWS is shaking up the digital interview space, and their collaborations with A-list stars like Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and even Ed Sheeran are making headlines.
So what’s next for AreYouKiddingTV? We sat down with Joey and Steven to talk about their meteoric rise, what it’s like working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, and how they’re pushing the boundaries of social media in 2025.
INLOVE: Your videos are absolutely wild. How do you come up with these challenges, and has there ever been one you were too afraid to do yourselves?
Joey & Steven: Sometimes ideas will just come to ourselves individually at random moments and we’ll write them down, or we’ll brainstorm together and come up with concepts that we think would be unique, funny and entertaining. We both have a similar sense of humor, so the challenges and videos that we share with the internet embody what we both would find funny if we were watching them ourselves. We definitely have been surprised to see what people will do for money in our challenges. Dumping a bucket of water on our heads or smashing a cake in our faces might bring some hesitancy, but if we were getting money in return and would get to be in a viral video, we would probably agree to do most of our challenges.
INLOVE: You’ve worked with some seriously huge names—Keith Urban even gave you a shoutout on The Kelly Clarkson Show! Who’s been your favorite celebrity to collaborate with so far?
Joey & Steven: We’ve worked with a lot of great people, so it’s hard to pick one person. Keith Urban was very down to earth and friendly, and it was awesome to see him give us a shoutout on The Kelly Clarkson show. Joe Gatto was also great to work with, and we still keep in touch frequently with Khleo Thomas.
INLOVE: Speaking of big names, you’ve got Lainey Wilson and Drake Bell coming up next. Any sneak peeks on what fans can expect from those collabs?
Joey & Steven: While we can’t share anything specific about the challenges, fans can expect the similar humor from our other videos with challenges related to Lainey Wilson and Drake Bell. We were both big fans of Drake & Josh growing up, so we’re hoping to create some nostalgia for other fans of the show with that collaboration.
INLOVE: With over 1.5 billion views and counting, what was the moment when you realized AreYouKiddingTV had officially blown up?
Joey & Steven: We were actually making videos in college for 4 years with pretty much nobody watching them. During the beginning of COVID when TikTok was getting popular, we decided to re-edit these older videos in vertical format and post them on that platform. When some of the videos started to get millions of views, we realized there was potential to continue making new videos, and as success continued, we realized we could turn this into something big.
INLOVE: Social media can be a pretty toxic space, but you two are all about spreading positivity and giving back. Why is that so important to you?
Joey & Steven: From the beginning, it was important to both of us that we make videos that are real, family-friendly, non-controversial, and non-political. We’ve seen what some content creators have done in the past to get views (making fake pranks, bothering people, being inappropriate) and we wanted to make videos that would get people away from that stuff and just be simply entertained. In doing this, we’ve also been able to give back and make people’s days by giving them money and prizes, so it really has been the ideal situation for us.
INLOVE: Your new series SILENT INTERVIEWS is totally unique. Where did that idea come from, and how do you get celebs to participate?
Joey & Steven: We’re always thinking of ways we can expand, especially long-form on YouTube. Since interviews and podcasts are trending, we thought it would be cool to incorporate our signature sunglasses and silence into an interview series. Our team has helped us book guests, and we’ve also reached out to people we’ve worked with in the past. We have some great ideas to expand with the silent interviews and look forward to continuing to grow that segment.
INLOVE: People have compared you to Sean Evans of Hot Ones—but with way more chaos. How do you feel about that comparison?
Joey & Steven: That’s a comparison we actually haven’t heard too often, but we’re honored by that. Sean Evans has built a great show, and we respect how big “Hot Ones” has become. We’ve definitely gotten some inspiration from that show for our “Silent Interview” series.
INLOVE: You’ve worked with massive brands like Dr. Pepper, Disney, Paramount, and even the Nashville Predators. How do you balance staying true to your content while working with corporate partners?
Joey & Steven: The great thing about our shtick is that there are so many ways to incorporate a challenge into our videos, while still feeling authentic. We make it clear to brands from the beginning that we have essentially mastered our style of videos, and if the brand wants a lot of views on the video, we need to make it feel organic while also promoting their product. Most brands are on board, which makes it easy to stay true to our content.
INLOVE: If you could challenge one celebrity—past or present—to a game with AreYouKiddingTV, who would it be and why?
Joey & Steven: That’s a tough question that we could have a different answer for each time you ask. We are both big fans of Adam Sandler having grown up watching all his movies, so it would be awesome to have him involved in any way.
INLOVE: Finally, what’s next for you two? How do you plan to take AreYouKiddingTV to even crazier heights this year?
Joey & Steven: We plan to keep making our simple videos that people love, while also creating larger-budget videos that raise the stakes. We want to also continue growing our Silent Interview series and expand with new concepts and ways to collaborate with other celebrities.
With AreYouKiddingTV, Joey and Steven are proving that social media isn’t just about going viral—it’s about creating moments, spreading joy, and maybe, just maybe, getting Keith Urban to do something ridiculous on camera.
One thing’s for sure: their rise isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Buckle up, because the best is yet to come.
Follow AreYouKiddingTV:
TikTok: @AYKTV (8M Followers)
YouTube: AreYouKiddingTV (3.1M Subscribers / 1.5B Views)
Instagram: @AreYouKiddingTV (1.2M Followers)
Photographer: Cole Plichta
Stylist: Clair Andrews
Words by Elle Taylor
