11 December 2023 , 19:00
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Ashley Banjo is prioritising his 'family and babies to ensure they're happy' after splitting from his long-term ex-wife, Francesca Abbott.
The dance choreographer, who rose to fame as leader of the troupe Diversity on Britain's Got Talent in 2007, has gone on to achieve huge success on television, from judging Dancing On Ice to presenting The Real Full Monty - which airs tonight on ITV.
Away from screens, the 35-year-old is a proud father to two young children, who he shares with his childhood sweetheart, ex-Francesca, who is a fellow dancer and talent manager. The former couple stunned the showbiz world when they announced their amicable split at the end of last year.
Childhood sweethearts Ashley and Francesca announced they had split in 2022 after 16 years together (Getty Images Europe)
The former couple share two children together and are focused on co-parenting the best they canThe pair, who met and fell in love as teenagers, tied the knot back on July 4, 2015, after the pair had been dating for 10 years. They then welcomed daughter Rose in 2019 and son Micah in 2020. On the arrival of Rose, Ashley couldn't hold back his pride, writing at the time: "Our beautiful daughter came into the world at 6.45pm on 21st February 2019 – weighing a healthy 8lbs and 13oz. Her name is Rose Adura Banjo. I am in the deepest love ever with my little family."
And upon their son's birth, Ashley described the little one as a "ray of sunshine amid dark times" amid the coronavirus crisis. Gushing over the mum of his children in a former Valentine's Post, Ashley described Francesca as his 'best friend'.
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He had further commented in the post: "[I] love her more than she knows... Among other things she's also a PA, an honest opinion, a lost property detector, an oven for babies, an OCD pillow plumper and a life-size hot water bottle." However in December 2022, they shared a moving statement publicly about their split. It read: "Nearly 18 months ago, we took the difficult decision to separate. After being together for over 16 years, since we were teenagers, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly.
"It has not been easy and the processing of the situation has not been fast by any means. But we feel that as we approach the new year it is time to share the news with others." The two dancers continued to state how their main focus was on their "beautiful children", adding that they want to ensure they can "continue as a loving family and give the very best of ourselves as parents".
"Raising Rose and Micah in a healthy happy environment is the most important thing to both of us," the statement finished, before concluding by saying they wouldn't be offering any further comment. The former couple have seemingly remained on good terms since, despite going their separate ways.
In April 2023, Ashley told the Daily Mail they are both focusing on their kids. He said: "At the end of the day, for me when it comes to life, my children are my priority and looking after my family and my babies and making sure they're happy and their lives are good is number one."
Away from dancing and reality TV, Ashley has also conquered the stage with a surprising career move. The multi-talented star made his West End debut during the summer when he took on the role of Tin Man in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of The Wizard of Oz.
Announcing the news at the start of February on Instagram, Ashley wrote: "I'm honestly so excited about this one... Bringing my creations into a whole new world, working alongside some of the best on the planet including @jasonmanford as the Cowardly Lion and the absolute legend that is @andrewlloydwebber."
Ashley has also presented the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards this year, alongside Carol Vorderman. Speaking about his career goals, he told the Mirror: "Nearly 15 years after winning Britain's Got Talent as a group, I'm still finding new things that push me and things that are exciting. So hopefully that continues."
*The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls airs on ITV1 and ITVX tonight and tomorrow at 9pm.