Ashley Banjo was born on October 4, 1988. Banjo is a renowned and popular street dancer, choreographer, and actor. He rose to prominence and acclaim after his dance crew Diversity won the third series of “Britain’s Got Talent.” He was also a judge on “Got to Dance,” the Sky1 talent show. In addition to this, he was a co-presenter on “Can’t Touch This,” the B.B.C. game show on Saturday nights. He is also a continued judge in “Dancing on Ice,” since 2018, as well as a representative of Simon Cowell, who at that time had been in an electric motorcycle accident in September and October on I.T.V’s talent show, “Britain’s Got Talent.” This happened in 2020, during the live shows. Apart from dancing, he played other roles, such as being the official ambassador of the United Dance Organization and being appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services in dancing in the 2022 New Year Honors. He is good at what he does and we are extremely excited to celebrate him today.
Fast Facts
Full Name:
Ashley Modurotolu Banjo
Nickname:
Chosen
Birth date:
October 4, 1988
Age:
36
Zodiac Sign:
Libra
Height:
6' 5"
Relationship Status:
Married
Net Worth:
$1.5 million
Background
Ashley Modurotolu Banjo, professionally known as Ashley Banjo, is an amazing and extremely talented dancer. He was born on October 4, 1988, in Leytonstone, London. He was born to Funso Banjo, his father, and Danielle Banjo, his mother. While his father was a celebrated former heavyweight boxer, his mother was a ballet dancer with the Royal Ballet. They owned the Danceworks dance studio where Banjo started training his dance moves at the age of five. He turned his passion for dancing into a lifetime career and he has never looked back since. He went to St John’s School, Billericay, where he was active in sports and leadership roles. He later enrolled in the University of London to study biology, whilst taking part in “Britain’s Got Talent” competitions.
Together with his brother, Jordan, they created a dance group alongside their nine friends and named it Swift Moves, which they later renamed Diversity. In 2007, their first year after forming the group, they won the Street Dance Weekend competitions. This was before they decided to take part in “Britain’s Got Talent.” In 2009, they auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent” and received unanimous yes votes from all three judges. During the semi-finals, they lost the public vote to Susan Boyle but the judges saved them as they won their vote against Natalie Okri. Six days later, they were declared the winners in the finals. Following their win, Banjo took a break from school to put all his focus on his dancing career. They received several nominations and awards after “Britain’s Got Talent,” including being nominated in the Dance category of the final South Bank Show Awards and receiving an award at the Pride of Britain Awards.
He went on to choreograph a Diversity tour in 2013 that was known as Limitless. It went on from November 30, all the way to December 16. He was also the presenter of “Perspectives: Michael Jackson’s Thriller with Ashley Banjo,” in 2015. The following year, he co-presented the Saturday night game show for B.B.C. One, “Can’t Touch This” together with Zoe Ball. In 2017, he became a judge on “Dance Dance Dance,” the I.T.V. series hosted by Alesha Dixon and Will Best. He has also been a judge on “Dancing on Ice” since 2018. In 2020, he represented Simon Cowell, who at that time had been in an electric motorcycle accident in September and October on “Britain’s Got Talent” 14th series for the live semi-finals and finals. He also partnered with Persil, the detergent brand as well as Sky Nature, the television channel to create a short film series that highlighted the environmental action in 2021. He became a judge on “Got to Dance,” the Sky1 dancing talent show for all its five seasons, and his group, Diversity, appeared at least once every season as guest performers.
Career timeline
He teams up with his brother and nine of their friends and forms a dance group known as Diversity, which was originally named Swift Moves.
His dance crew is pronounced the winners of the third series of "Britain’s Got Talent."
He choreographs and manages to bring to completion a Diversity tour that is titled: Limitless.
He co-presents the B.B.C. One Saturday night game show known as “Can’t Touch This” with Zoe Ball.
He replaces Simon Cowell, who gets involved in an electric motorcycle accident, on “Britain’s Got Talent” 14th series for the live semi-finals and finals.
Why We Love Ashley Banjo
He is loyal
He has always been loyal to dancing and his dance crew. They are all close to each other since it comprises his brother and nine of their friends. He treats them like family. After he became a judge on “Got to Dance,” he made sure Diversity performed at least once in every season for all five seasons.
He is business-minded
He is always looking for ways to expand his income revenue. After winning “Britain’s Got Talent,” he choreographed a tour for Diversity that was known as Limitless. He also partnered with mega-brands such as Persil and Sky Nature T.V. channel to start creating short films on environmental action.
He is a family man
He has been in a long-term relationship with Francesca Abbott. They have two children together, Rose and Micah. His family is his inspiration and strength. He enjoys and values spending time with them.
5 Surprising Facts
He was nicknamed Chosen
He was nicknamed Chosen by his Diversity dance crew members.
He performed for Queen Elizabeth
He performed at the "Royal Variety Show" for Queen Elizabeth.
His wife is also a dancer
He married Francesca Abbott, also a member of another dance crew, Out of the Shadows.
He started learning routines at 14
He started teaching himself dancing routines at 14 years old
He was born in a leap year
He was born on a Tuesday, in 1988, which was a leap year.
Ashley Banjo FAQs
How did Banjo and Francesca Abbott meet?
The “Dancing on Ice” judge previously revealed that he took Abbott to the Science Museum for their first date in 2005, writing on Instagram: “14 years ago I couldn’t drive, so I took this girl on a date to the science museum to try and make her laugh and impress her with how much I knew about the nerdiest subjects.”
Are Banjo and Perri Kiely related?
Although they are incredibly close friends, Kiely is not related to Banjo or his brother Jordan.
Did one of the Diversity members die?
On July 28, 2017, member Robert Anker died in a car accident in Canada. On November 6, 2017, Banjo was confirmed to be one of the four judges on the revived I.T.V. show “Dancing on Ice.”
Ashley Banjo’s birthday dates
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2024 | October 4 | Friday |
2025 | October 4 | Saturday |
2026 | October 4 | Sunday |
2027 | October 4 | Monday |
2028 | October 4 | Wednesday |