BGT DANCE CLEARED
Ofcom BACKS Diversity’s BLM dance despite Britain’s Got Talent performance sparking near-record 24,500 complaints
BRITAIN'S Got Talent's BLM dance has been backed by the TV watchdog - despite it receiving 24,500 complaints.
Ofcom told The Sun today that it will not launch a probe into Diversity's performance, which saw a police officer kneeling on Ashley Banjo.
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The decision has upset some viewers, with one insisting: "We need a petition to get rid of Ofcom."
It comes as the number of complaints over the Black Lives Matter dance, which referenced the death of George Floyd in the US and saw Diversity take the knee, rise to 24,500 today.
A spokesperson for the watchdog said: "We concluded that the programme did not raise issues which warranted investigation under our broadcasting rules.
"We carefully considered a large number of complaints about this artistic routine, an area where freedom of expression is particularly important.
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"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.
"Any depictions of violence by the performers were highly stylised and symbolic of recent global events.
"There was no explicit reference to any particular political organisation – but rather a message that the lives of black people matter.”
It came after ITV yesterday said they were standing by the dance - and Britain's Got Talent stand-in judge Ashley Banjo.
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A spokesperson told The Sun Online: "Britain's Got Talent has always been an inclusive show, which showcases diversity and supports strong storytelling in all forms.
"ITV stands behind the decision to broadcast Diversity's performance on BGT.
"Ashley and the group are a great example of the talent, creativity and diversity of modern Britain and their performance was an authentic, heartfelt response to many of the issues and events which have affected society in 2020."
However, some viewers were angry that it aired, with one fuming: "Take politics out of family entertainment."
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Other said they regretted lodging an objection with Ofcom, posting: "Didn’t expect anything else it was a waste of time complaining."
Ashley's fellow BGT judge Alesha Dixon has furiously defended the dance - which she said had moved her to "floods of tears".
The 41-year-old told critics to "kiss my black a**" after the Diversity frontman shared an image of himself alongside boxer Anthony Joshua and Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton.
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Underneath the pictures, it read: "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."
Another fellow judge, Amanda Holden, suggested the dance had received far more positive comments than negative ones.
The 49-year-old said: "What hasn’t been reported is the positive response - hundreds of thousands of them. We stand by them and stand by Ashley Banjo 100 per cent."
The performance is close to being the most complained-about moment of the decade - just behind the 25,327 who objected to Celebrity Big Brother's 'punchgate' row involving Roxanne Pallett and Ryan Thomas.
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Ashley acknowledged Diversity were likely to breach that record, yesterday sharing a snap with daughter posting: "Just me and Rosie patiently watching as we head for the number 1 spot."
The dance group have been shocked by the reaction, with Ashley's brother Jordan close to tears as he spoke about being bombarded with "horrible stuff" since the dance aired.
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