He fame found on Britain's Got Talent in 2009 and has since gotten married and welcomed his first child in the world
Diversity star Ashley Banjo, 30, has come a long way since winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, rising through the ranks to become a judge on Dancing On Ice. Here, he shares with Closer what he’s learnt along the way.
Give your partner space
"My wife [Francesca Abbott] and I have been together since we were 16, and my best advice on relationships is to give each other space. At the start we were busy and I’d only see her once or twice a week, and even now if I go on tour people say, ‘How do you cope?’ But actually it’s nice to be away and miss someone. "I’ve got my thing going on and she’s got hers and we couldn’t do it without each other. It’s maybe not the most romantic thing in the world but I feel it’s a good idea."
Check out: Strictly Come Dancing wages REVEALED
Strictly Professional salaries - SLIDER
1 of 13Gorka Marquez, £105,000
The lowest salary in the line up but certainly not one to be sniffed at, on top of Gorka's £50k Strictly salary last year he brought home an extra £35k for the Strictly Professionals live tour and £20k for the one off show, Here Come the Boys, with fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec.
2 of 13Anton Du Beke, £172,000
Proving that with age doesn't alway come wealth (although he's hardly broke) Anton Du Beke takes home a cool £172k after his £50k Strictly salary, thanks to his own professional tour (£65k) and regular weekend work at Alton Towers (£12k).
3 of 13Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara, £290,000 combined
Married couple Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara have an estimated household income of nearly £300k, thanks to their combined salaries from Strictly and the live tour. They've also raked in some extra cash from various P&O Ferry cruises.
4 of 13Motsi Mabuse, £325,000
New recruit Motsi, sister of Oti, was offered a starting salary of £200,00 when she joined the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel for this season. The German dance school she runs with husband Evgenij Voznyuk and her contract with German Weight Watchers brings home some extra bacon.
5 of 13Neil and Katya Jones, £334,000 combined
They may no longer be married, but in previous years Neil and Katya Jones have raked in a combined amount of over £340k. On top of their £100k joint salary, ticket sales from their stage show Somnium, as well as P&O Cruise and Alton Towers contracts, raked in plenty more cash for the former lovers.
6 of 13Kevin Clifton, £350,000
Reigning champ Kevin Clifton, who's currently dating his dance partner from last year Stacey Dooley, is thought to have pocketed up to £10k A WEEK last year appearing as the star name in dance shows Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor. He's also been working on new business ventures like starting his podcast and recording an album, which are sure to make him some extra £££'s.
7 of 13AJ Pritchard, £360,000
AJ is something of the Darling of Strictly Come Dancing, and his hefty paypacket is testament to that. On top of his Strictly salary, he's also starred on plenty of reality shows like Celebrity Hunted and Celebrity Masterchef. His work on the Strictly live shows makes him an extra £70k, as well as his work on Panto where he's thought to earn £100k.
8 of 13Oti Mabuse, £410,000
Returning for her fourth year this year, Oti is thought to earn just over £400k with her Strictly salary and The Professionals tour money. She also works as a judge on The Greatest Dancer with Cheryl and Matthew Morrison, not forgetting her various reality TV work.
9 of 13Shirley Ballas, £500,000
Head judge Shirley Ballas began on a meagre £180k – but negotiated a pay rise, bringing her Strictly salary up to a whopping quarter of a million quid per series. She's also earning a pretty penny from appearing on Panto each year, and teaching at a dance school in Streatham, South London.
10 of 13Tess Daly, £570,000
Tess is thought to earn £150k for her presenting role on Strictly Come Dancing, but a number of other work commitments hike her yearly income up to well over half a million quid. She also presents Children in Need each year and was a brand ambassador for global mega brands L'Oreal and Pandora.
11 of 13Craig Revel Horwood, £655,000
He might be the "lowest paid" judge on the panel, but residents Mr Nasty Craig certainly makes up for his "lacking" salary with his various other sources of income. For one, he is the main choreographer for the Strictly Live Tour, thought to earn him around £200k a year, as well as his work in Panto and renting out property.
12 of 13Claudia Winkleman, £829,000
Claudia is apparently the highest paid woman on the BBC's books so it's no wonder her yearly income is nearly £1m. On top of her £150k Strictly salary – the same as co-host Tess Daly's – she also earns a pretty penny for her Radio shows and various other BBC commitments. Other major sources of income are her big bucks beauty partnerships, including Head & Shoulders and No 7 at Boots.
13 of 13Bruno Tonioli, £1.85 Million
Top of the leaderboard (in the salary stakes) is Italian Stallion Bruno, who is the highest paid judge, with a Strictly salary of £250k. However, it's rumoured the quarter of a million paypacket isn't enough for Bruno, who earns SIX TIMES THAT judging on the American version, Dancing with the Stars.
Support and champion young people
"I always think of the quote, 'Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it’s stupid." I know so many kids who are incredible and dance in Diversity [Ashley is the troupe’s founder member, along with younger brother Jordan], and they might not be successful in structured academics, but if you invest in art and spaces where people can do things together, it can change a life. Everyone has something you can learn from. I dance with a lot of kids now, some 12, 13, or 14, and they’re doing things I couldn’t do until I was 20, and they push me. I dance alongside them and it inspires and motivates me."
Take more risks
"I was 19 when we entered BGT and at that time I tended to play things safe. I didn’t want to go on the show because I wasn’t sure people would get what we did as it was new. But we went for it. That’s a risk I took and it changed my world. In life you have to get out there and experience everything you can. These days I feel like I’m grown-up because I’m a dad and 30, but I’ll probably look at myself at 40 and think, 'Why didn’t you do more and take more risks?'"
Stop to enjoy the journey
"The last 10 years have been a massive learning curve. But sometimes you need to stop and think, 'That whole decade’s gone and I’ve been flat out.' So now I reckon I need to appreciate the journey a bit more. I’ve been working with Samsung on their interactive KX space, where you can try out new technology for free, do yoga and take part in cocktail-making classes. I’m a big believer in the vibe and energy of a location. Sometimes it’s good to sit and be a part of the experience."
Keep your expectations realistic
"Don’t expect anything from anyone. A lot of people create things – maybe something they’ve written or a dance routine – and they expect others to like it because they worked hard at it, and that’s where many people fall down. So rather than expect others to like it, work on it to make it impossible for them not to. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s a big one."
Things change when you have children
"I like to think I’ve always been a relatively selfless person, helping out with the [Diversity] boys and my immediate family, as we all work together. But with a baby [daughter Rose, seven months] I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to be whatever she needs me to be.’ I’d literally give anything to make sure she’s all right and that’s a feeling I’ve never felt before, that level of not only love, but also protection. Being a parent does change your perspective slightly."
Celebrate your heritage
"I feel like, [regarding] racism and opportunities for black people, it’s a different world now to when my parents met. I’m quite an early generation for mixed race kids, and when my parents were having me [they] had an awful time. We’re not far away from an era when black people didn’t get equal opportunities and equal rights. To celebrate how far black people have come is an incredible thing and it’s important to do so. It will take us many decades to find true and genuine equality, but we are definitely on the right track."
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Follow your parents’ lead
"I have a strong drive to succeed. If I want to achieve something, I’ll go all-out. I’ve been given [that work ethic] by my mum and dad. They still work on the Diversity team, and Mum still looks after us. I’m on tour with Diversity until November, in a different city every night, and I’m lucky because Mum comes with us, the group are my closest friends, and my wife and baby join us for a week at a time."
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