Ashley Banjo somersaulted into the spotlight in 2009, as the lead dancer of dance troupe Diversity. The lovable TV star and his crew won the third series of Britain's Got Talent, impressing Simon Cowell and fellow judges for his brilliant choreography. Since then, Ashley has gone on to tour with Diversity, while also carving a new path for himself in the world of television. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ashley's fortune stands at around £770,000. Ahead of Friday night's much-anticipated episode of Flirty Dancing, hosted by the man himself, let's take a look at how he made his money…
Ashley Banjo and Britain's Got Talent
The pro street dancer, 30, received a lot of praise during his time on BGT. Amanda Holden branded his choreography "genius" while Simon said at the finale: "If I was going to give marks on that, that is the only performance tonight I would give a ten to." Diversity beat Susan Boyle and Julian Smith, taking home the £100,000 prize money, which totalled around £9,090 per dance member. Following their BGT triumph, Diversity performed their first sell-out arena tour in 2012 which was choreographed, produced and directed by Ashley. The following year, Ashley choreographed another tour for the group, named Limitless.
© Photo: Getty ImagesAshley rose to fame as the lead dancer of Diversity
Ashley Banjo and Dancing on Ice
Ashley has worked as a judge on various TV shows including Sky1's Got to Dance for all five series and ITV's Dance Dance Dance. He also co-presented BBC One game show Can't Touch This in 2016, but he has most recently appeared on TV as one fourth of the judging panel on Dancing on Ice.
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Ashley confirmed the news on Loose Women, saying: "This show feels like it's embedded into society. I was really excited to be part of the revamp and the refresh. I'm going to be myself, be constructive, and just be ready for Jason (Gardiner)! I'm going to be honest. If someone is great, I'll tell them they're great. If people need telling that it was bad, I'll tell them." Halfway through the series, Ashley's wife Francesca Abbott gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Rose.
There's a Dancing on Ice proposal! Watch video:
Ashley Banjo and his wife Francesca Abbott
The couple dated for around six years before they announced their engagement in October 2014. Nine months later in July 2015, Ashley and Francesca, also a professional dancer, tied the knot in Essex. The BGT winner proudly shared the first photo of their wedding on Facebook, with Ashley looking dapper in a three-piece suit and the bride stunning in a lace gown. The groom's fellow Diversity members attended the nuptials.
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© Photo: InstagramAshley's daughter Rose was born in February 2019
In October 2018, Ashley and Francesca announced that they were expecting their first child. Ashley wrote on Instagram: "I am so excited to finally share the news that we are having a baby!! Now the time has come to finally say this out loud I have no idea what to say! I don't know if words alone can explain how full of joy and happiness we both are."
The couple's daughter was born in February 2019. Ashley shared a gorgeous photo of Francesca lying in the hospital bed with their newborn, while he cooed over their baby. "Our beautiful daughter came into the world at 6:45pm on 21st February 2019 weighing a healthy 8lbs 13oz. Her name is Rose Adura Banjo. I am in the deepest love ever with my little family @francescabanjo I love you and am so proud #nextchapter," he wrote.
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