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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Molly Pike

Diversity's Ashley Banjo says he'd do BGT routine again '100 times over' after OfCom ruling

Ashley Banjo has made a defiant post after OfCom announced that it will not investigate Diversity's highly controversial Britain's Got Talent routine.

He said he would do the routine again "100 times over" as he thanked his fans for all their support in the last fortnight.

Diversity's dance was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the treatment of black people by the police in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

It has sparked over 24,500 complaints to broadcast regulator OfCom since it aired on September 5.

But yesterday Ofcom said it would not investigate the complaints because of the routine's important message.

Ashley Banjo has said he'd do Diversity's Britain's Got Talent routine again '100 times over' after it sparked over 24,500 complaints (Instagram)
OfCom said it won't investigate the routine (ITV)

Ashley shared Ofcom's statement on Instagram, writing: "Creativity is always a leap of faith.

"All I did what was what felt right and I'd do it 100 times over...

"Sending love to everyone that stood by us."

Diversity's dance was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the treatment of black people by the police (Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX/Shutterstock)

OfCom said it wouldn't be launching an investigating into the routine.

The statement read: "We carefully considered a large number of complaints about this artistic routine, an area where freedom of expression is particularly important.

"Diversity’s performance referred to challenging and potentially controversial subjects, and in our view, its central message was a call for social cohesion and unity.

Ashley has thanked his fans for their support (ITV)

"Any depictions of violence by the performers were highly stylised and symbolic of recent global events, and there was no explicit reference to any particular political organisation – but rather a message that the lives of black people matter.

"We will not be taking this case on to formal investigation."

*Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturday at 8pm on ITV

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