Britain’s Got Talent was 2020’s most complained about show.
The series notched up a total of more than 31,000 complaints to TV watchdog Ofcom.
The majority of the complaints – over 25,000 – were about Diversity’s guest performance which centred around the Black Lives Matter movement.
Ofcom previously rejected the complaints and backed the show.
In its ruling, Ofcom said: “We carefully considered a large number of complaints about this artistic routine, an area where freedom of expression is particularly important.
Diversity’s performance referred to challenging and potentially controversial subjects, and in our view, its central message was a call for social cohesion and unity.
“Any depictions of violence by the performers were highly stylised and symbolic of recent global events, and there was no explicit reference to any particular political organisation – but rather a message that the lives of black people matter.”
Almost 2,000 complaints followed the next weekend about Alesha Dixon’s necklace.
Alesha’s golden necklace, which featured the letters B, L and M – seemingly in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement – prompted 1,901 complaints.
Ofcom also rejected complaints made about comedian Nabil Abdulrashid’s semi-final performance.
The stand up comic made the final where he performed a set that left the judges in stitches.
However the routine also resulted in almost 3,000 complaints to TV watchdog Ofcom.
Ofcom said: “The comedian’s satirical take on his life experiences as a black Muslim was likely to have been within audience expectations.”
There were also complaints to the TV watchdog objecting to Amanda Holden’s ‘inappropriate’ dress.
Further complaints over the series were made about the perceived lack of social distancing while comedian Allan Finnegan’s set generated just over 300 objections.
Britain’s Got Talent will return to ITV later in 2021 for a new series.
Picture: ITV
More on: Britain's Got TalentOfcom
