Britain’s Got Talent: Ofcom rejects 24,000 complaints about Diversity dance performance
‘Routine’s central message was a call for social cohesion and unity,’ investigation found
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Your support makes all the difference.A Black Lives Matter-inspired dance performance on Britain’s Got Talent will not be investigated by Ofcom, it has been confirmed.
More than 24,000 complaints had been made to Ofcom in the wake of the performance, which saw dance act Diversity memorialise George Floyd and celebrate the Black Lives Matter movement.
The performance saw group leader Ashley Banjo pinned down by a police officer, with the group going on to take the knee on the words: “Black Lives Matter.”
In a statement Ofcom 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.”
Ofcom also confirmed that complaints about the performance revolved around four claims: that it was racist against white people, that it portrayed the police in a negative fashion, was unsuitable for a family audience, and that it “expressed support for a political organisation” in Black Lives Matter.
Ofcom ultimately ruled that none of the concerns were valid based on their existing criteria, which investigated whether the routine broke acceptable standards, encouraged dangerous behaviour or expressed impartial views. They also declared that they would not pursue action against ITV.
ITV previously stood behind the performance in a statement, stating that Britain’s Got Talent “showcases diversity and supports strong storytelling in all forms”, calling the routine “an authentic, heartfelt response to many of the issues and events which have affected society in 2020”.
Banjo has revealed that he received death threats in the wake of the performance. Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon also denied reports that she had threatened to quit ITV if they apologised for the performance, but did express support for the performance itself.
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