6 June 2021
LONDON, 6th June 2021: ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent wins Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award at tonight’s Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards.
The accolade, presented by Daisy May Cooper, and revealed for the very first time by a TV fan at home, was collected by Ashley and Jordan Banjo, lead dancers in Diversity.
The winning moment, from an episode of Britain’s Got Talent which had 5.4million viewers, received 3.4million YouTube views itself, making it one of the show’s most watched performances yet.
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The performance showed the power of television, driving conversation and debate as well as a record number of complaints that, after lengthy review, Ofcom discounted, describing the performance as an artistic expression of topical social Issues and a ‘call for social cohesion and unity'.[1] Now, the British public have had their say and backed Britain's Got Talent, Diversity and their message by crowning them winner of Virgin Media's Must-See Moment.
Ashley and Jordan thanked the British public in their powerful acceptance speech, “This is so much more than just an award, I want to say thank you to every single person that voted for us. It means so much. Thank you to everyone who stood by us and every phone call, text, comment, DM, you guys make a difference to what was a very dark time. There is so many conversations and so much that needs to change this is what change looks like and I’m so proud to be standing here, so thankful to all of those people. For me, this is about not representing the minority, it felt like we weren’t at the time, but standing here right now, this represents the majority, thank you all so so much.”
Diversity’s performance was one of the most talked about, tweeted about and watched TV moments of 2020. It was an artistic interpretation inspired by the events of 2020, set to a medley of powerful music and using the viral poem, ‘The Great Realisation’, the performance portrays the coronavirus pandemic, the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
This moment perfectly embodies what Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award is all about - celebrating the dramatic scenes, cliffhangers and unforgettable TV moments that get the British public talking, tweeting, and sharing.
The six nominees for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award 2020 were:
David Bouchier, Chief TV & Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, said:
“2020 was another stand-out year in television and the variety of nominees for this year's Virgin Media Must-See Moment award celebrated everything from comedy, drama and soaps to reality and fantasy. British television has the power to truly connect our nation and this moment in Britain’s Got Talent really resonated with the British public through its creative expression, bravery and hard-hitting truths. It's fantastic to have such a powerful call for unity win our award, it truly was a stand-out TV moment from 2020 and is a deserving winner.”
Hannah Wyatt, Chair of BAFTA’s Television Committee, said:
“Congratulations to Diversity and the Britain’s Got Talent team on their win for Virgin Media’s Must-See Moment award. The public had a difficult choice on their hands with all nominees being such captivating moments and so varied in genre. It’s always an award we’re excited about as it’s all down to the British public.”
ENDS
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