DIVERSITY founder Ashley Banjo is back on our screens in The Real Full Monty on Ice. The dance guru returned to Britain’s Got Talent – the contest he won with his troupe in 2009 – earlier this year as a stand-in judge for the injured Simon Cowell. Who is Ashley Banjo? English street dancer, choreographer and […]
DIVERSITY founder Ashley Banjo is back on our screens in The Real Full Monty on Ice.
The dance guru returned to Britain’s Got Talent – the contest he won with his troupe in 2009 – earlier this year as a stand-in judge for the injured Simon Cowell.
English street dancer, choreographer and actor Ashley Modurotolu Banjo was born October 4, 1988.
Ashley grew up in Wickford, Essex, with his younger brother, Jordan and his sister Talisa Banjo.
He went to St Johns School in Billericay and studied physics and biology at Queen Mary, University of London, after previously attending SEEVIC College.
Having completed his first two years, he took a break from studying to concentrate on his dancing.
Ashley married his wife Francesca Abbott, a professional dancer and talent manager in 2015.
They have two children together, Rose and Micah.
After years in the industry Ashley has racked up an impressive net worth.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ashley has earned a cool £736,000.
But that figure could soon be rising with recent appearances on Britain’s Got Talent and now The Real Full Monty on Ice.
In 2007, Ashley and his younger brother Jordan formed dance group Swift Moves with nine of their friends, before later changing their name to Diversity.
He was given the nickname “Chosen” by his fellow Diversity members.
In their first year together, they won the Street Dance Weekend 2007 competition before deciding to enter Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.
The troupe went onto win the third series of ITV talent show Britain’s Got Talent – beating off hot favourite Susan Boyle, who came second.
All the judges heavily praised their performances throughout the competition, with Ashley’s choreography being described by Amanda Holden as “genius”.
In the final, referring to their winning performance, judge Simon Cowell said: “If I was going to give marks on that, that is the only performance tonight I would give a 10 to.”
As winners of the competition, Diversity received £100,000 (around £9,090 per member) and went on to perform before the Queen at the Royal Variety Show in December 2009.
Since winning BGT, Ashley’s stock has risen to new heights.
Alongside continuing his commitments to Diversity, he has appeared on a number of television shows.
Chief among them was being a judge on Sky1’s Got to Dance talent show, where Diversity made regular guest appearances.
He also co-presented BBC’s Can’t Touch This with Zoe Ball, while switching to ITV as a judge on Dance Dance Dance.
In 2018, he joined the panel for Dancing on Ice alongside Olympic ice dance gold medallists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and John Barrowman.
Ashley returned to the show that made him famous, standing in for Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent in 2020.
Upon Ashley joining the BGT judges, Simon said: “I couldn’t think of a better person to sit in my seat whilst I follow doctor’s orders. I hate that stupid bike.”
The media mogul broke his back by falling off an electric bike while in Malibu in August.
A number of celebrities will be stripping off to bare minimum for charity as they skate around the ice rink in their birthday suits.
Ashley will be joined by a Love Island beauty, along with a Page Three legend and even another Diversity member.
The other stars are:
