Diversity's Ashley Banjo 'humbled and proud' with MBE honour

Dancer and choreographer Ashley Banjo said he was "humbled and extremely proud" to have been appointed an MBE.

The 33-year-old, who lives in Essex and found fame when his dance troupe Diversity won Britain's Got Talent (BGT) in 2009, has been named in the New Year's Honours list.

This year, his group's 2020 routine about the events of that year won the Must-See Moment Award at the TV BAFTAs.

He has called his latest award "the ultimate accolade".

"I'm so humbled and extremely proud to be receiving this honour," he said.

"It's something I never saw coming and for my mum and dad to see this moment means the world."

Banjo, whose father is former heavyweight boxer Funso Banjo, formed the Swift Moves dance troupe with his younger brother Jordan, before later changing their name to Diversity.

Nicknamed "Chosen" by his friends, in their first year together they won the 2007 Street Dance Weekend contest.

Their success encouraged them to audition for BGT where they beat Susan Boyle to the title.

Diversity is known for pushing the boundaries of dance and creativity and as choreographer, Banjo creates all of their performances including all nine of their sell-out UK tours.

Well known for his television roles, he has also presented, judged and produced award-winning programmes including a return to Britain's Got Talent, Dancing On Ice and the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning The Real Full Monty.

While he has become an MBE for services to dance, he is also known for speaking out on issues surrounding racial equality.

In September 2020, Diversity delivered a headline-grabbing routine in the live BGT final which dealt with events of 2020.

As well as featuring themes about the pandemic, they depicted George Floyd's death in police custody in the US and the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement.

It sparked more than 24,000 complaints to Ofcom, but the broadcasting watchdog dismissed them, concluding that the routine had not raised issues that warranted an investigation and added that "its central message was a call for social cohesion and unity".

June 2021 saw him front an ITV documentary exploring his own past and the civil rights movement in the UK.

Banjo also spoke out against the racist abuse directed at England's black footballers following their defeat in the Euros final.

Currently appearing with Diversity in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Milton Keynes Theatre, he previously told the BBC the topic was "always up for debate" because "social media never lets it lie".

"The goal is always to authentically be yourself as far as possible, so [the 2020 performance] just confirmed that it's important to stand up for what you believe in, especially if you've got a platform," he said.

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