Advertisement

Ashley Banjo shares rare photo of his father as he wishes him happy birthday

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25:  Ashley Banjo attends the National Television Awards on January 25, 2017 in London, United Kingdom.  (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Ashley Banjo attends the National Television Awards on January 25, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Ashley Banjo shared an image of his father who he “rarely talks about” in a touching social media post wishing him a happy birthday.

The 31-year-old has spoken previously about his dad’s preference for privacy, but couldn’t resist the opportunity to tell him how much he means to him on his big day.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge shared an image on Instagram of himself and Diversity colleague and brother Jordan sat on a wall as their dad looks on.

Read more: Diversity have 'never been prouder' following ITV's backing, says Ashley Banjo

He captioned the image: ”Happy birthday dad… I rarely talk about him in public because it’s just not his way.

"I rarely even say out loud how much he’s taught me and how much he does for me still to this day.

"But if this year has taught me anything, it’s that nothing lasts forever. So it’s always the right time to say Love ya dad 👊🏽🖤.

"Have a good day and eat whatever you want without the whole fam getting onto you about not being healthy 😅🎉💪🏽."

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Banjo family.

Ashley was announced as Simon Cowell’s BGT stand in after the music mogul broke his back in a biking accident.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16:  (L-R) Jordan Banjo and Ashley Banjo attend the ITV Palooza! held at The Royal Festival Hall on October 16, 2018 in London, England.  (Photo by Jeff Spicer/WireImage)
(L-R) Jordan Banjo and Ashley Banjo attend the ITV Palooza! held at The Royal Festival Hall on October 16, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/WireImage)

His dance troupe Diversity then made headlines after a powerful Black Lives Matter-inspired routine on the popular talent show sparked thousands of complaints.

Banjo received a host of support following the backlash, including from ITV, Piers Morgan and fellow BGT judge Alesha Dixon.

TV regulator Ofcom ruled in favour of Diversity, dismissing the complaints, of which they say reached around 24,000.

Read more: Alesha Dixon shares emotional response to Diversity’s BLM-inspired routine

A spokesperson said: “We carefully considered a large number of complaints about this artistic routine, an area where freedom of expression is particularly important.

“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, and there was no explicit reference to any particular political organisation – but rather a message that the lives of black people matter.”