Over the past year, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has enjoyed significant attention across the world after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin.
Not long after the murder, dance troupe Diversity, headed by Ashley Banjo, performed a dance routine on Britain's Got Talent. This was inspired by the BLM movement and referenced Floyd's killing when Ashley Banjo lay on the stage and a white dancer knelt on him as part of the act.
An unexpected nomination
The routine sparked outrage among some, with both ITV and Ofcom flooded with complaints and vast amounts of controversy arising. The story dominated the press, while to the shock of no one, Piers Morgan was involved in a controversial debate about the routine on Good Morning Britain.
Following the performance, there were 24,500 complaints made to Ofcom. However, the regulator said that no broadcasting rules had been broken.
Banjo himself defended the routine, stating the group wanted to express how people felt after the events. The routine was set to a powerful soundtrack and, according to Banjo, was an expression of people's emotions sparked by not only the murder but also the global battle with Covid-19.
Other nominations for the Must-See TV BAFTA include scenes from Bridgerton and Eastenders, reactions on Gogglebox to a news conference held by Boris Johnson, and a scene from Nigella: Cook, Eat, Repeat. A scene from the Mandalorian has also made the nominations for the award.
The inclusion of the controversial routine from Diversity will perhaps be the biggest surprise of all for many people.
Those who want to vote for one of the nominees including the Diversity act have until 24th May to register their vote.
