Ashley Banjo has addressed the barrage of complaints Diversity's recent Britain's Got Talent performance received, saying in an Instagram video that they have received 'everything from racial abuse to threats' as part of the 'nasty' backlash.
The routine - which involved Banjo being knelt on by a man dressed as a police officer as a reference to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis back in May - received more than 15,000 complaints after the show aired last weekend.
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Banjo has now responded in a video on Instagram, saying it's been a 'crazy week' for Diversity members.
He thanked fans for their support, saying the negativity to the performance actually came from 'the minority', and that the positive response has been 'huge'.
"Thank you so much to everyone who has supported and shown love and stood by what we did," he said, adding that the group stand by 'every decision' they had made with the performance.
Banjo went on to discuss the negativity, saying: "It's been a lot. Everything from racial abuse to threats to just some really nasty stuff.
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"[...] A lot of the negativity and the nastiness and the racism shows exactly why this performance was needed, and exactly why this conversation that has now arisen from it is necessary.
"Racism is very real. I knew it before and I definitely know it now."
He continued: "The performance was a roundup of an extraordinary year. Everything from lockdown to Covid to the incredible NHS to the spotlight that's been shone on racism. Everything that happened with George Floyd in America, the protests, the riots - ultimately culminating in the idea of unity, hope, finding a cure.
"[...] That's what that performance was about. It was layered. It was something that we wanted to bring to the stage to bring people hope, but also not to shy away from the difficult conversations and the difficult issues that have arisen this year.
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"This has been a year that people will not forget - it's a year that will go down in history for positive and negative reasons."
Banjo also said in the video's caption that he was 'feeling nothing but proud and positive', as many fans commented underneath to praise his comments.
One person wrote: "Sending huge support to you and the rest of the team. Stunning performance and as you say, obviously massively needed."
Another said: "So much love and respect for you all, keep doing what you are doing."
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Ashley BanjoTopics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Britain's Got Talent, UK Entertainment