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Diversity dancer Ashley Banjo has criticized “racism” and “hate” after the group’s Black Lives Matter-inspired performance on Britain’s Got Talent, as complaints about the routine rose to more than 21,000.
Banjo, leader of the dance group and temporary judge of the show, posted examples of comments he has received on social media, saying the negative response is “what makes every second of that performance and every complaint worthwhile.”
Diversity, which won the contest in 2009, took the Brittany Has Talent stage with a politically charged routine during an ITV show semi-final on September 5.
Ashley Banjo is a judge on the show for this series.
His performance showed a white police officer kneeling on Banjo’s neck in a moment that echoed the murder of an unarmed black man. George Floyd in the US, which caused Black lives matter protests around the world.
Hundreds of viewers complained Ofcom in the days after, and the numbers soared as the story made headlines.
On Monday afternoon, the media watchdog confirmed to Sky News that the figure has risen to 21,673, up from 15,000 at the end of last week.
No further details were released, but a spokesperson has previously said the complaints are being evaluated to decide whether or not an investigation is needed.
Ofcom has not provided details on the nature of the complaints.
Addressing the backlash, Banjo shared screenshots of “a small selection” of the comments he has received on social media, including one that argued that the response is critical rather than racism.
The dance company knelt during the performance, which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“No, I don’t mean ‘criticism’ … I mean ‘racism’,” Banjo posted in response. “I mean hate … I mean what makes every second of that performance and every complaint worthwhile.
“I didn’t even want to shed light on any of this directly. But here is just a small selection from last week.
“And please don’t worry or feel sorry for me … Feel sorry for the people who endure this kind of abuse and have no voice or platform. Feel sorry for the people who have been singled out, abused, and in some cases , killed for the color of their skin.
“The only saving grace is that this is the great minority … But for all the people who ask or wonder, yes, it is very real and it does exist.”
Sunday, banjo shared a video saying that people who respond negatively are a minority and that he has received a “huge” reaction from people praising the routine.
The dancer is a judge in the program of this series below Simon Cowell back injury.
Judge Alesha Dixon has spoken out in favor of diversity
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Fellow panelist Alesha Dixon also tweeted over the weekend, following a report that she had threatened to leave the show if ITV apologized for the performance.
She said this was not true, but added: “However, I am on the sidelines and support Ashley Banjo and Diversity.”
The 21,673 figure is the second highest number of complaints to Ofcom for a television show since at least 2010. The watchdog received 25,327 in 2018 about Celebrity Big Brother, when the former Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett falsely claimed she had been assaulted by his roommate Ryan Thomas.
A spokesperson for Britain’s Got Talent said: “Diversity’s performance provided its take on the extraordinary events of 2020 opening up important talking points.
“The show was accomplished for a family audience.”
