BGT’s Alesha Dixon hits back over Diversity’s Black Lives Matter dance after 10,000 complaints

It's the second most complained about TV moment of the decade

ashley banjo alesha dixon

by Eden-Olivia Lord |
Updated on

Last weekend, Diversity performed a powerful performance in support of Black Lives Matter on Britain's Got Talent and it's resulted in over 10,000 Ofcom complaints.

Now, BGT judge Alesha Dixon has had her say on the backlash and hit back at the negativity, responding to an Instagram post about the issue saying, "They can kiss my black ass".

Which is rather wonderful.

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Ashley during the performance ©ITV

Diversity dancer Ashley Banjo responded to the fallout on Instagram in a statement, explaining, "Art: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

"My truth, my platform, my art. I’ve always tried to create not only to entertain but also to inspire... That will never change,".

He went on, "‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter’ - Martin Luther King Jr.

"I’m so grateful and overwhelmed by all of the love and support but also by the amount of conversation this performance has thrown up 🙏🏽 2020 has been such a historical year. One day we will look back and realise it was the start of real change...

"Sending out nothing but love and positivity to everyone reading this post 🖤 #wearediversity".

However, it appears that people have continued to be at odds about their performance because Ashley has since posted a photo of himself, Lewis Hamilton and Anthony Joshua that staes, "Dear Joshua and Banjo and other Black public figures.

"We the Great British Public will only support you if you entertain us and do not say anything about racism."

Check out: Britain's Got Talent - 15 things you didn't know about the talent show

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Britain's Got Talent: 15 things you didn't know about the talent show

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

1. The show was conceived by Simon Cowell on the back of a packet of cigarettes

Piers Morgan has said that when he met up with Simon for lunch one day back in 2005, he had drawn out his plans for the talent show on the back of his cigarette packet. He was desperate to create a talent show that was open to all sorts of acts. Now in its tenth series, it's still one of the best competitions on the TV!

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2. It was meant to be called ‘Paul O’Grady’s Got Talent’

Originally, the show would be hosted by loveable TV personality, Paul O'Grady. However, when Paul pulled out of the show it went over to America instead, but due to its huge success it was brought back to the UK and renamed Britain's Got Talent.

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CREDIT: Rex / Shutterstock

3. Fern Britton and Cheryl Cole were both meant to be judges

The original line-up included these two favourites, but for different reasons neither ended up in the final panel.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

4. The judges attended auditions in different cities

Anyone who was part of the audition process this year got to strut their stuff and show off their skills in front of the judges in London, Liverpool and Birmingham.

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5. Audience members get to see a comedian before the show!

In order to warm up the audience and get them excited for the acts they're about to see, Britain's Got Talent have a comedian onstage to loosen them up. He's also there to make sure that everyone keeps tight lipped about what they see to ensure the utmost secrecy!

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6. The audience is the fifth judge

Before the show, the audience members are encouraged to be very vocal about their opinions of the performers – if they love them, they must woot and clap, if they hate them, they're told to start chanting, "Off! Off! Off!" Charming!

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7. Alesha and Amanda are provided with healthy snacks

The girls like to graze on things like apple slices during filming, so the crew ensure that there are always some diet-friendly snacks for the girls. David Walliams, however, is often seen asking the audience members for chocolate!

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CREDIT: Twitter / amandaholden

8. It takes A LOT of work to keep the judges looking their best - and the contestants get glammed up too

Between acts, there is often a gap where the next act is preparing to enter the stage. During this time the judges are preened and re-preened to make sure that their hair and make-up is perfect throughout filming. The contestants are also made up behind the scenes.

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CREDIT: Getty

9. Kelly Brook was a judge for two days

In 2009, Simon decided to get Kelly on board to make the panel a foursome. However, according to Piers Morgan, she wasn't the right fit for Britain's Got Talent and together, the four of them lacked chemistry.

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10. It isn’t as slick as it looks on the telly

Filming days can be long and arduous, with lots of breaks between acts meaning they usually run over schedule. Even if the act doesn't have any intricate staging requests, everything from the sound, to the lighting, to the judges shiny foreheads needs to be checked before filming recommences. Luckily, Ant and Dec are there to keep everyone smiling!

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11. People who apply for the show have to go through a really long audition process

Once you've sent off your application to attend the open auditions, you're expected to turn up on the day and perform in front of a producer. If they like you, you then have to perform to a more senior producer, and then once more in front of a panel while they film you. If you pass this stage, you're then invited to audition in front of a live audience with the celebrity judges.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

12. Bring snacks to the open auditions

If the team really like you, you'll have to complete all three audition stages on the same day meaning that you could be hanging around for up to 14 hours. That's why it's wise to bring some snacks just incase!

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13. The judges only actually watch a handful of auditions

A usual day of filming could include anything from 8-16 auditions, so the judges only see a tiny percentage the overall applicants for the show. So that means when they're moaning about long filming days and having to waste time watching silly acts, they're definitely exaggerating!

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CREDIT: Getty

14. The crowd you see as the judges enter the arena are actually audience members!

Although sometimes they will film the applicants waiting outside, most of the time the big crowds you see are the audience members who are filmed while they're waiting for the judges to arrive.

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CREDIT: Getty

15. Some contestants have gone on to be seriously famous

Paul Potts has earned £7million since he won the show in 2007, and Ashleigh and her talented pup Pudsey have also fallen into the six digit category. George Sampson has appeared on TV and in movies, Diversity had their own show, and Susan Boyle - who didn't even win – has sold 19 million albums worldwide and was nominated for two Grammy's!

Ashley was quick to hit back at the post and other celebrities defended him including BGT judge Alesha Dixon who wrote, "They can kiss my black ass".

Coronation Street's Brook Vincent said, "Keep Educating, Keep Performing & Keep Shining ✨".

Malin Andersson commented, "AMEN🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽".

TOWIE's Vas Morgan added, "WHAT THE F-CK".

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KISS Breakfast presenters Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely also broke down during their show following the backlash they received.

Diversity's BGT performance has had 10,267 Ofcom complaints which is the second most complained TV moment over the past decade.

The most complained about moment was when Roxanne Pallett accused Ryan Thomas of punching her on Celebrity Big Brother which resulted in 25,327 complaints.

Following Diversity's performance, Kim Woodburn’s interview on Loose Women is the third TV moment that received the most Ofcom complaints - the segment on the daytime TV show resulted in 7,912 complaints.

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