MUMBAI: Swedish YouTube star PewDiePie is taking a break from the video streaming platform as he is "feeling very tired".

PewDiePie, 30, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, found fame with video game commentaries, and was at one point the world's highest earning YouTuber, reports bbc.com.

He was more recently involved in controversies around accusations of racism and anti-Semitism.

"Early next year I'll be away for a little while. I'll explain that later," he said in a video post.

Earlier this year, PewDiePie, who currently has 102 million subscribers, was overtaken as the biggest YouTube channel in the world by Bollywood record label T-Series, which now has more than 121 million subscribers.

"I'm taking a break from YouTube next year. I wanted to say it in advance because I made up my mind. I'm tired. I'm feeling very tired. I don't know if you can tell," PewDiePie said.

Disney cut ties with him in 2017 after some videos he released were found to contain Nazi references or anti-Semitic imagery.

He accepted the material was offensive but stressed that he did not support "any kind of hateful attitudes".

Later in 2017, he apologized for using the N-word during a live stream. In 2018, he apologized again for reposting a meme that appeared to mock singer Demi Lovato's hospital treatment for a suspected drug overdose.

(Source: IANS)