Ashley Banjo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashley Banjo MBE
Banjo interviewed by UK Gossip TV at the National Television Awards in 2020
Born	Ashley Modurotolu Banjo (1988-10-04) 4 October 1988 (age 36) Leytonstone, London, England
Occupation	Dancer choreographer television personality
Years active	2009–present
Children	2
Relatives	Jordan Banjo (brother)
Current group	Diversity
Dances	Street dance

Ashley Modurotolu Banjo, born on October 4, 1988, is a famous English dancer, choreographer, and TV star. He leads the amazing street dance group Diversity. They won the TV talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Ashley has also been a judge on popular dance shows like Got to Dance, Dance Dance Dance, and Dancing on Ice. In 2016, he co-hosted the BBC game show Can't Touch This.

Early Life and Education

Ashley Banjo was born in Leytonstone, England. He grew up in Essex. His father, Funso Banjo, was a heavyweight boxer. His mother, Danielle, was a dance teacher.

Ashley went to St John's School, Billericay. He was the Head Boy there. He still holds the high jump record for the school's sports day.

Diversity Dance Group

In 2007, Ashley and his younger brother, Jordan, started a dance group. They called it Swift Moves at first. Later, they changed the name to Diversity.

Ashley's friends in Diversity gave him the nickname "Chosen." In their first year, they won the Street Dance Weekend 2007 competition. After that, they decided to try out for Britain's Got Talent.

Winning Britain's Got Talent

Ashley Banjo at the National Television Awards in 2020

Diversity impressed all three judges in their audition. They competed in the first semi-final on May 24, 2009. They came in second place in the public vote to Susan Boyle. However, the judges chose them to go to the final.

Six days later, Diversity won the final of Britain's Got Talent. They beat Susan Boyle and Julian Smith. As winners, Diversity received £100,000. They also performed for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Show in December 2009.

After Britain's Got Talent

After their big win, Diversity was nominated for a Dance award. They also won an award at the Pride of Britain Awards.

In 2013, Ashley created a tour for Diversity called Limitless. The tour ran from November 30 to December 16.

In 2021, Ashley worked with the detergent brand Persil and Sky Nature. They made short films about helping the environment.

In June 2023, Ashley started performing in the musical The Wizard of Oz. He played the Tin Woodman in the West End show.

Ashley Banjo on TV

Ashley was a judge on Sky1's dance show Got to Dance for all five seasons. Diversity also performed as guests on the show many times.

In 2015, Ashley presented a show called Perspectives: Michael Jackson's Thriller with Ashley Banjo.

In 2016, he co-hosted Can't Touch This on BBC One with Zoe Ball. In 2017, Ashley was a judge on the ITV show Dance Dance Dance.

Since January 2018, Ashley Banjo has been a judge on Dancing on Ice.

In August 2020, Ashley filled in for Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent. Simon was recovering from a bike injury. Ashley was a guest judge for the live semi-final and final shows.

TV Shows and Movies

Ashley Banjo has appeared in many TV shows and movies. Here are some of them:

Personal Life

After winning Britain's Got Talent in 2009, Ashley took a break from school. He wanted to focus on his dancing. He said he started teaching himself dance routines at age 14.

Ashley was in a long relationship with Francesca Abbott. She is also a dancer. They got engaged on October 2, 2014. Ashley and Francesca have two children: Rose, born in 2019, and Micah, born in 2020. They announced their separation in December 2022.

Ashley Banjo is an official ambassador for the United Dance Organisation.

In 2022, Ashley was given an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). This award recognized his great work in dance.