Britain in Black and White (2021)

In 2020, dancer, presenter and talent show judge Ashley Banjo and his dance group, Diversity, were thrown into the spotlight – and the centre of a vicious Twitter storm – following their history-making Black Lives Matter performance on Britain’s Got Talent, which became one of the most complained about acts in the history of OFCOM, the UK communications regulator.

Accepting the BAFTA for Must-See Moment at the 2021 awards, Banjo thanked both his supporters and the 30 000 people who complained about the dance routine to OFCOM. “I have to say thank you to the people that complained – to the people who put all of that abuse out there online – because you showed the truth. You showed exactly why this performance and this moment was necessary.”

In Britain in Black and White, Ashley sets out on a journey into his own past and into British history to explore the roots of the reaction to his performance. ​​Ashley talks to a wide range of contributors, including actor David Harewood; historian David Olusoga; Britain’s Got Talent Judge Alesha Dixon; one of the UK’s most respected activists, Leila Hassan Howe; and comedian Jim Davidson.

Part journey of discovery, part intimate biography, Britain in Black and White looks at how race and racism have impacted upon Ashley’s life and that of his family and friends. Crucially, by meeting civil rights trailblazers from modern history, he also tries to understand what it means to take a stand.