Dance group Diversity have spiked controversy amongst Britains Got Talent Viewers after their Black Lives Matter Inspired Routine Aired On Saturday
After a month-long break as a result of COVID-19 the popular ITV variety show Britains Got Talent returned for the semi-finals on Saturday. After a jam packed show full of talent the first finalist of 2020 comedian Steve Royle was chosen by the judges. However, it isn't the semi-finalists that have been hitting the headlines, it is instead dance group Diversity who appeared on the show for a guest performance.
Diversity won the talent competition back in 2009 and have since become a global sensation, known for their unique and innovative dance routines full of lifts and tricks. On Saturday they returned to the BGT stage to deliver a moving routine inspired by the horrific events that have occurred this year including the Black Lives Matter Protests, the death of George Floyd and the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Despite a wealth of positive comments praising how powerful the performance was and commending the dance troop on using their platform to portray such a important message, there were an equal amount of negative comments from people who were unhappy with the political nature of their presentation.
Ofcom have confirmed that they have received a mounting number of complaints about the dance routine and it is said that as of last night the figure reached up to almost 3,000. However, a spokesperson has stated “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
Ashley Banjo, who is a temporary guest judge on Britains Got Talent and the lead dancer and choreographer of Diversity has since hit back at the complainants, defending his groups performance in a series of Instagram and Twitter posts. Perri Kiely, another member of Diversity, also commented on the matter, expressing how heartbroken he was that it faced so much criticism. On Twitter he wrote "It’s exactly as I expect yet I struggle to understand what goes on inside so many people’s heads...the world needs to wake up. This is genuinely heartbreaking."
A spokesperson from Britains Got Talent said "Diversity’s performance offered their take on the extraordinary events of 2020 opening up important topics of conversation. The show was compiled for a family audience.” Fellow BGT judge David Walliams has also shown his support for the dance group in sharing one of Ashley Banjo's posts.
If you missed it you can watch Diversity's full performance by clicking here.