Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Ellie Harrison

Britain’s Got Talent: Alesha Dixon’s Black Lives Matter necklace prompts 1,900 complaints

Photograph: ITV

Ofcom has received more than 1,900 complaints after Alesha Dixon showed support for Diversity by wearing a Black Lives Matter necklace on Britain’s Got Talent.

On Saturday night’s episode (19 September), Dixon – who is a judge on BGT – wore a layered gold necklace made up of the BLM letters.

An Ofcom spokesman told the BBC: "We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate."

Dixon wore the necklace after a Black Lives Matter-themed performance by dance group Diversity, which featured Ashley Banjo being pinned down by a police officer, in reference to the death of George Floyd.

The performance sparked more than 24,500 complaints to Ofcom, with some viewers accusing it of being “too political” for a Saturday night entertainment programme and perceiving it to be racist against white people.

ITV came out in full support of the dance, and over the weekend it took out full-page adverts in every national newspaper that stated: “ITV stand with Diversity.”

Ofcom also said it would not investigate the routine, saying it did not consider it to be racist.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.