Ashley Banjo has broken his silence after splitting from wife Francesca following 16 years together

Ashley Banjo has broken his silence after being separated from his wife for 16 years, insisting the kids are their priority.

The Dancing On Ice judge, 34, who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 with group Diversity, announced in December that he and childhood sweetheart Francesca had made the ‘tough decision’ to part ways with a joint statement.

Together, the former couple share daughters Rose, four, and Micah, two, who Ashley says are now old enough to understand their dad’s rise to fame on the ITV show and enjoy rewatching his performances on YouTube.

And their fondness for the series is shared by Ashley, who still tunes in to the competition to discover new talent in the dance scene.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Ashley, who also fronts The Real Full Monty, revealed that co-parenting his two children alongside Francesca and ensuring their happiness is his main goal in life.

He said, “Ultimately for me when it comes to life my children are my priority and taking care of my family and my babies and making sure they are happy and their life is good is number one.

“Now that they’re old enough, my kids love watching BGT performances on YouTube, they always get up at Diversity performances and want to watch their dad, which is super cute, and I love watching the old performances with them .’

Ashley, who stars in his first clothing collection with retailer Peacocks, says he’s still struggling to keep up with the action on BGT and even teased that Diversity could perform on the show’s live finale.

He said, “I watch BGT like a lot of people watch TV shows in bits on streaming platforms as and when, instead of sitting on Saturdays.

“The guys were catching up with me yesterday about a guy who set himself on fire while solving a Rubik’s cube and I just couldn’t believe it. The show still has so much magic and it really is a great outlet for talent.

“I’m not sure if we’ll be on the show this year, but we’re trying to make the schedules work and it’s definitely in there.

“We’ve performed on more Got Talent shows than any other act, it’s almost 15 gigs. It’s busy but also fun, it’s busy to do well and you do yourself and your team credit for that.’

In this series of Britain’s Got Talent, directed by music mogul Simon Cowell, Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli has replaced David Walliams on the judging panel alongside Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

David’s absence was not addressed by bosses during the opening episode of the new series, with former BGT champion Ashley saying Bruno is the perfect addition to the family-friendly show.

He said, “He has a lot of energy and is one of those larger than life characters and I love that about the judges on the panel. You have these four people responding on behalf of the nation, so having a great character like Bruno is always going to add energy and fun to the show.

“I saw a post online where he hit the Golden Buzzer for the Ghetto kids half way through their performance and they were in charge for just going on.”

It’s been 13 years since Ashley won the competition with Diversity along with his brother Jordan and fellow member Perri Kiely, who was just 14 when they earned the title.

And Ashley, who continues to tour with Diversity, says he has no plans to leave the group, but is aware that he needs to keep his fitness at a level that won’t compromise the quality of the band’s performance. the mess.

He said, “While people still want to see the show in its current format, I’ll go ahead and do what I love, and I’ll follow my instincts and my heart when it comes to how long my playing days last, and I’ll just trying not to outdo my welcome.

“It’s easy for me to stay in shape because a lot of it is driven by if I don’t when I do full shows or tours I’ll find them not only much harder but the quality especially now that I’m older I need to take care of myself and keep fit or I just wouldn’t be able to do what I do.

‘My fitness is part of constantly wanting to be good at my job and creating what I do in Diversity.’

Fans of Ashley will also recognize him from the ITV show The Real Full Monty, in which celebrities undress for cancer in front of a live audience, often overcoming self-esteem issues after being stricken with the disease.

He hinted that a new series of the show is in the works, saying, “There are so many people and schedules involved, so until you dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s, you never know… but we are almost ready to make it happen.’

Ashley’s new spring/summer collection with Peacocks features a range of men’s clothing that the star says will suit everyone, but especially the taller gentleman.

At six feet tall, Ashley admits he’s struggled over the years to find fashionable clothes to suit his tall stature, but now his neutral-toned line has given him the answer to his style dilemma.

He said, ‘Because I’m a person this tall and a person who needs to move fast, how things fit, what they’re made of, how stretchy they are, how moveable and breathable, those are questions I naturally ask.

“A lot of the garments have that oversized and relaxed fit for the summer which I love and where spring/summer is a lot with short sleeves. When it comes to sizing, there’s a bit more to give, but basically it’s for everyone.’

• Ashley Banjo: Approved is available online and in more than 340 Peacocks stores nationwide