Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon has spoken out after 10,267 Ofcom complaints were made against Diversity's performance on the show at the weekend, making it the second most complained about TV moment of the decade.
The singer turned TV-judge wrote "kiss my black a**" on Instagram as news that the flurry of complaints had surpassed 10,000, supporting the crew's leader Ashley Banjo, who had been standing in as a judge on the show in replacement of Simon Cowell.
You can watch the dance below:
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The dance featured important nods to the Black Lives Matter movement, including one moment where a white police officer kneels on a black man, echoing the tragic murder of George Floyd, and the many more before him.
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It was performed alongside a rap which read: "While we all were hidden, under orders of the Prime Minister, people dusted off their instincts and noticed something more sinister.
"Another disease, deep rooted in our system, fear, hate and ignorance, but racism was the symptom."
At one point, the vocals also powerfully played out: "I can't breathe" - the last words Floyd uttered before he died.
As well as racism, Diversity's dance also shined a light on other prevalent aspects of today's society, including the coronavirus, the exponential growth of delivery services like Amazon and capitalism.
After learning of the thousands of complaints - which were only topped by Big Brother's Roxanne Pallett and her controversial assault claims against Ryan Thomas - Ashley Banjo shared a picture of himself alongside boxer Anthony Joshua and Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton.
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The image, which he says he was sent on Instagram, reads: "Dear Joshua and Banjo and other Black public figures. We the Great British Public will only support you if you entertain us and do not say anything about racism."
Ashley also released a statement, writing: "Art: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
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"My truth, my platform, my art. I've always tried to create not only to entertain but also to inspire... That will never change.
"'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter' - Martin Luther King Jr."
Of course, Alesha Dixon wasn't the only one to speak out following the complaints against the dance troop. Many more were horrified that over 10,000 people had chosen to complain about the TV moment.
Perri Kiely, who is also in the group, wrote on Twitter: "It's exactly as I expect yet I struggle to understand what goes on inside so many people's heads...the world needs to wake up.
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"This is genuinely heartbreaking #BLM #Diversity #BGT".
Meanwhile, activist Munroe Burgdorf wrote: "The only reason you would ever complain about someone protesting racism, is if you are racist yourself.
"Complaining about Black civil rights? Disgusting. Britain has a massive issue with racism. Always has and at this rate always will."
Comedian London Hughes agreed: "Okay. The fact that that beautifully emotional Diversity performance on @BGT got more Ofcom complaints than Roxanne Pallet did on Big Brother let's me know everything I need to know about racism in Britain."
Meanwhile, Ashley's dancer wife Francesca penned: "On Saturday @ashleybanjogram and @diversity_official performed this routine on @bgt, 11 years after winning the show. To call this a 'dance routine' is an understatement to say the least.
"This piece was a take on the unprecedented events of 2020, from Covid 19 to BLM, from clapping for carers as a nation to coming together in our own families and finding the light in the darkest of times.
"Some may find this uncomfortable, may feel it inappropriate, but shying away from issues is not going to bring about the change that is so long overdue.
"Watching this I could not be prouder of my husband; Rose and Micah will watch this and when they are old enough to understand they will be proud that their Dad created something so poignant and used his voice to stand up for what is right.
"We are one race, the human race."
Featured Image Credit: ITV