Ashley Banjo admits he was naive with his expectations of Britain’s Got Talent before he was catapulted to fame back in 2009.
Ashley, 37, became an overnight sensation alongside his brother Jordan, 33, and their dance troupe Diversity thanks to their show-stopping routines on series three of the ITV talent contest. They became the unlikely winners of the show after winning the viewer vote over favourite Susan Boyle in a tense final.
But Ashley confesses he didn’t realise just how big of a deal the show was – or how much it would transform his life. “Honestly, I can’t explain to you how naive I was back then,” Ashley says. “It was only year three in Britain’s Got Talent so it was all still relatively fresh. It was a case of ‘yeah let’s just go and compete have a good time see how we do’.
View 3 ImagesDiversity returned to perform on BGT(Image: ITV/BGT)
“People had enjoyed our stuff before and we’d won competitions, but that’s different to Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan and you know millions and millions of people sort of like gushing about what we do.
“We were just kids on the show. I don’t want to ever use the word tough. There are people who have a much tougher time and I think that we’ve been very blessed and very privileged. But, I think that from a human, emotional point of view, it wasn’t a normal environment to grow up here and do those formative years in.
“It is a tough environment and it’s demanding and there wasn’t really anybody that had walked that path before us in terms of a dance group. We were making a blue print, getting it right, getting it wrong. I think it’s only later on in life you look back and think Jordan was 15, I was 19. But, you know, for all of the downs, all the difficult parts, there’s been hundreds of blessings. We are very lucky.”
The brothers believe the contest is a different beast these days. “It’s a completely different to what it was back then,” Jordan says. “Now, you can go on your phone. You can actually watch an episode of Britain’s Got Talent through TikTok with about five clicks.
View 3 ImagesDiversity won BGT in 2009(Image: PA)
“When we went on, a show like Britain’s Got Talent was the only way to get access to that entertainment world. It wasn’t as readily available.”
“I think that reality shows over the years became a way to have profile and essentially be successful.” He says that despite all the fame that comes with the shows, his advice to hopefuls would be to stay “unapologetically you.”
The brothers say they have stayed grounded due to their close family ties. Jordan describes Ashley as his rock and mentor over the years. Their mum Ash is still the manager of Diversity and they are close friends with anyone in the group.
“So, for me, whenever I feel I needed anything or felt a certain way, if there’s actually ever an issue, the first person I’d ring is Ash because there’s not going to be many people in the world who understand exactly the same,” Jordan confides.
“I know Ash understands everything for me, so I’ve got a great support network there. Plus he’s my brother so I’ve always been very lucky and blessed in that situation and I think that’s the way that I’ve stayed fine with a lot of stuff.”
View 3 ImagesAshley and Jordan Banjo are presenting Winnrz Wednesdays(Image: TPF-london)
That brotherly bond is on full show as the duo are now teaming up to present a new show together for the first time away from Diversity. They are the hosts of a brand new YouTube show called Winnrz Wednesdays where users can shop to win prizes.
It gives the public the chance to bag anything from cash to tech and trips, with the Banjo brothers unveiling the winners on their live weekly show in a concept that is already proving successful around the globe.
Jordan says: “This is probably one of the first things me and Ashley have done together. It’s literally how we are off camera, but on camera. I mean it’s just good fun.”
Ashley agreed with his brother’s comments and confessed to his excitement to take on the role.
Jad Toubayly, Founder and CEO of Winnrz, told us the decision to cast the siblings was straight forward. He says: “They have an energy. They just matched our vibe.
“They work very well together and they saw this as an opportunity to kind of join forces and put smiles on people’s faces through our platform. So their energy just spoke to us, and we had to go for them.”
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Viewers can watch the live draw every Wednesday on the Winnrz YouTube platform.
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