Ashley Banjo opens up about handling 'dad guilt' over Christmas amidst busy schedule
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Ashley Banjo, the 36-year-old star of Diversity and Dancing On Ice, has opened up about experiencing 'dad guilt' during the Christmas season due to his demanding work schedule. Despite separating from his childhood sweetheart, Francesca, in 2022 after 16 years together, the pair continue to co-parent their children, Rose, 5, and Micah, 4. Banjo revealed how he spends his brief time off during the holidays, making every moment with his children and loved ones count before diving back into work.
He told The Sun : "We only get Christmas Day and New Year's day off generally, so it's become a bit of a tradition for us to literally perform, come back from wherever we're doing, spend the day with the kids and the family and stuff, and then shoot back to work.".
While acknowledging the challenges of his demanding schedule, Banjo expressed his deep gratitude for being able to pursue a career that has been his lifelong passion. He emphasised how much he values his role as a performer, even during the busiest times of the year.
Banjo said: "It's a real catch 22 because we love what we do. I said to someone the other day that I don't take for granted doing pantomimes and doing shows because we get to spend the months on stage, a couple of times a day, doing what we love, doing what we're good at - entertaining crowds.".
Reflecting on his career with Diversity, Banjo marveled at the longevity of his group and the impact they continue to have. He said: "It was obviously our passion first. I've been in the group with some of the boys for 25 years. I look around and think, my God, we're still doing this to sold out audiences of thousands at a time.".
