Alesha Dixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alesha Dixon
Dixon in 2013
Born	Alesha Anjanette Dixon (1978-10-07) 7 October 1978 (age 46) Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation	Singer rapper songwriter dancer television personality author
Spouse(s)	Harvey ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2006)​ Azuka Ononye ​ ​ (m. 2017, sep)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop garage hip-hop
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Polydor Asylum Atlantic Victor Warner Precious Stone

Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is a talented English singer, rapper, dancer, TV star, and author. She became famous in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B and garage group Mis-Teeq. This group had seven songs in the UK top 10 and sold over 12 million records worldwide.

After Mis-Teeq broke up in 2005, Alesha signed with Polydor Records. She released her first solo album, Fired Up (2006). However, her first songs, "Lipstick" and "Knockdown", didn't become big hits, so Polydor Records decided not to continue working with her.

In 2007, Alesha joined the TV dancing show Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. She won the competition, which helped her music career take off again. She then signed with Asylum Records. In 2008, she released her second album, The Alesha Show. This album was very successful, selling over 300,000 copies. It included popular songs like "The Boy Does Nothing" and "Breathe Slow". "Breathe Slow" became her highest-charting song and earned her a nomination for a Brit Award. She has since released two more albums: The Entertainer (2010) and Do It for Love (2015).

From 2009 to 2012, Alesha was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. She then moved to become a judge on the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. She has also been a judge on America's Got Talent: The Champions (2020), Walk the Line (2021), and Australia's Got Talent (2022). As a TV presenter, Alesha has hosted many shows, including Alesha's Street Dance Stars (2010), Your Face Sounds Familiar (2013), and the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Alesha Dixon's Early Life and Career Beginnings

Growing Up in Welwyn Garden City

Dixon grew up in the town of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Alesha Anjanette Dixon was born on 7 October 1978 in Welwyn Garden City, England. Her father, Melvin Dixon, was Jamaican, and her mother, Beverly Harris, was English. Alesha has six half-siblings.

She went to Monk's Walk School in Welwyn. Alesha's parents separated when she was four years old. She has described her childhood family life as "very difficult." When she was between eight and ten, Alesha saw her mother experience domestic abuse. She later spoke publicly about this in 2010. Alesha made a BBC documentary called Don't Hit My Mum, which looked at domestic abuse from a child's point of view.

Alesha's first job was at Ladbrokes, a betting shop. She had hoped to become a PE teacher after college. She even completed a diploma in sports studies and planned to go to Loughborough University. However, while taking dance classes in London, she was noticed by a talent scout. Another scout approached her on a train, asking if she wanted to join a new music group.

Mis-Teeq: The Start of Her Music Journey (1999–2005)

Alesha's music career began in 1999. She met Sabrina Washington at a dance school in London. They decided to form a group. Later, they saw Su-Elise Nash auditioning for another group and asked her to join them. They became a trio. Soon, they signed with Telstar Records and added Zena McNally, forming the popular UK garage/R&B girl group, Mis-Teeq.

In January 2001, Mis-Teeq released their first song, "Why". It became a hit after a garage remix was made. Zena McNally left the group around this time. Mis-Teeq continued as a trio and released "All I Want", which reached number 2 on the charts. In October 2001, they released their first album, Lickin' On Both Sides, which included hits like "One Night Stand" and "B with Me". In 2002, Mis-Teeq was nominated for a BRIT Award and won a MOBO Award for Best Garage Act.

In 2003, Mis-Teeq released their second album, Eye Candy, with popular songs such as "Scandalous" and "Can't Get It Back". In 2004, Mis-Teeq toured the United States. The last song Alesha recorded with Mis-Teeq was "Shoo Shoo Baby" for the Disney film Valiant. In March 2005, the group released their Greatest Hits album and announced they were splitting up to start solo careers.

Alesha married Michael Harvey Jr in June 2005. They divorced in November 2006.

Alesha's Solo Career and TV Success

Solo Music and Strictly Come Dancing (2006–2008)

After Mis-Teeq broke up, Alesha started her solo career. She signed a big deal with Polydor Records. She spent a year writing and recording her first solo album, Fired Up. She worked with many different producers. She was known simply as "Alesha" during this time. Her first solo song, "Lipstick", was released in August 2006 and reached number 14 in the UK.

Her second song, "Knockdown", was released in October 2006 but didn't do as well, peaking at number 45. Soon after, in November 2006, Polydor Records decided to stop working with Alesha. They gave her full rights to her unreleased album. At the same time, her marriage ended.

In 2007, Alesha joined Strictly Come Dancing, a popular TV show where celebrities dance with professional partners. She was partnered with Matthew Cutler. Alesha was worried at first that joining a reality TV show might hurt her music career. However, she became a favorite on the show and received high scores from the judges. She and Matthew won the competition, getting 4.5 million votes in the final.

The Alesha Show and Judging Strictly (2008–2009)

Alesha Dixon performing in Leeds in 2008.

After winning Strictly Come Dancing, Alesha was wanted by many record labels, even Polydor Records again. She chose to sign a four-album deal with Asylum Records in 2008. Her new album, The Alesha Show, was released in November 2008.

The first song from the album, "The Boy Does Nothing", became her first solo top ten hit in the UK. It eventually reached number 5 and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The second song, "Breathe Slow", also became a top ten hit, reaching number 3 in the UK. This made it Alesha's highest-charting song.

The third song from The Alesha Show was "Let's Get Excited", which reached number 13. The album itself sold over 300,000 copies in the UK. The fourth song, "To Love Again", was released in November 2009. Alesha also went on a 17-date tour called The Alesha Show.

In July 2009, it was announced that Alesha would become a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. She replaced Arlene Phillips. Some viewers criticized her judging at first, but the BBC was happy with her.

The Entertainer Album (2010–2011)

In early 2010, Alesha started working on her third album, The Entertainer. She recorded with famous producers like Soulshock & Karlin and Rodney Jerkins.

In August, she released the first song from the album, "Drummer Boy", which reached number 15 in the UK. She also worked with the group Roll Deep on their song "Take Control". The second song from The Entertainer, "Radio", didn't do as well. The album itself also had lower sales, selling about 60,000 copies.

Alesha said she preferred to "take a chance creatively" with her music. She knew "Drummer Boy" was a risk because it was very different from her previous songs. She said she would rather make a unique song that might not be a huge hit than play it safe with boring music.

New TV Roles and Motherhood (2012–2014)

In January 2012, Alesha released a new song called "Do It Our Way" for a Weight Watchers campaign. On January 2, she announced she was leaving her judging role on Strictly Come Dancing. She then joined the judging panel of Britain's Got Talent, replacing Michael McIntyre. She joined Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and David Walliams. It was reported that she earned much more money by moving to Britain's Got Talent.

In September 2012, Alesha worked with rapper Ashley Walters on his song "Your Love".

In June 2013, Alesha announced she was expecting her first child with her partner, Azuka Ononye. On her 35th birthday, 7 October 2013, she shared that her daughter, Azura Sienna, was born the week before. Alesha decided to put her fourth album on hold to focus on being a mother. She and Azuka Ononye married in 2017. Their second daughter, Anaya, was born on 20 August 2019.

Do It for Love and Recent Work (2014–Present)

In December 2014, Alesha announced she would release a new song in 2015. In March 2015, she confirmed her new song "The Way We Are" would be released on 21 June. This was her first song in over four years. She performed it live on Britain's Got Talent.

Her fourth album, Do It for Love, was released on 9 October 2015. It reached number 81 on the UK Albums Chart. The album's other songs included "Tallest Girl" and a new version of "People Need Love". In 2016, Alesha had a small role in the film Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Alesha Dixon (left) hosting Eurovision 2023 alongside Sanina, Waddingham and Norton.

In June 2017, she filled in as a guest judge for Nicole Scherzinger at The X Factor UK auditions. She also stepped in for Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell later that year.

In May 2019, Alesha announced she was expecting her second child during a live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent. In September 2019, it was announced she would join the judging panel for season two of America's Got Talent: The Champions. In June 2021, she became a judge on the tenth season of Australia's Got Talent.

In November 2021, Alesha was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK. Her appearance was very popular. In 2023, Alesha co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool with Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham, and Graham Norton joined them for the final.

Alesha Dixon's Artistic Style

Musical Style and Songwriting

Dixon performing in 2009.

When Alesha first became known with Mis-Teeq, she was mainly the group's rapper, while Sabrina Washington usually sang the main parts. Sabrina encouraged Alesha to rap, saying it made their group unique.

However, when Alesha started her solo career, her first UK album, The Alesha Show, changed her music style. This album didn't have any rapping and was mostly R&B and soul music. This was different from Mis-Teeq's music, which focused on garage and hip hop. Alesha said her solo album had "a lot more guitar-written songs with pop produced around it." Her third album, The Entertainer, mostly featured dance and pop songs.

Alesha is a songwriter and singer, and she often writes or helps write her own songs. She said she wrote most of The Alesha Show herself or with others. Some critics believe her songs are about her own life, like "To Love Again" (2009), which she wrote with Gary Barlow.

When it comes to her singing, some reviewers have said Alesha's voice is best for upbeat, fast songs. However, The Guardian praised her live singing during her tour, The Alesha Show. The reviewer said her singing was "more powerful than you would imagine" and that she could sing well while dancing.

Musical Influences

Alesha has often said that Madonna is a big influence on her. She loved Madonna as a young girl and felt like she grew up with her music. Alesha's song "Let's Get Excited" even mentioned Madonna and her 1985 song "Into the Groove". The music video for "Let's Get Excited" also included a "Madonna tribute" with voguing. Alesha has also called Kylie Minogue her childhood idol.

The first record Alesha ever bought was "Push It" by the hip hop group Salt-n-Pepa. She liked that they were "raw and did their own thing" and didn't try to fit in with what people expected.

Even though Alesha grew up in a mostly white area, her father would take her to the Notting Hill Carnival in London. This helped her connect with her Jamaican heritage. The music she heard there, like dancehall records by Shabba Ranks and Buju Banton, influenced her musical tastes. When asked about her favorite songwriter, Alesha named Lauryn Hill. She admired Lauryn Hill for not being afraid to sing about real life and for making people think. Alesha also said Neneh Cherry, a mixed-race singer, was a big influence on her from a young age. Alesha remembered seeing Neneh Cherry on TV and telling her mum, "Mummy, she looks like me."

Alesha Dixon's Charity Work and Activism

Alesha believes that celebrities have a "moral responsibility" to do good things. She told Blues & Soul magazine in 2010 that she feels a responsibility that comes with her fame.

In 2009, Alesha climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for Comic Relief. She joined other celebrities like Cheryl Cole and Gary Barlow. Together, they raised over £3,500,000 to help fight malaria in Tanzania. In June 2009, Alesha became an official ambassador for the charity Help a London Child.

Alesha supports the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT). This charity works to increase the number of Black and Mixed Parentage people on the UK Bone Marrow Register. Alesha also supports Nickelodeon's "See Something, Say Something" campaign, which is a UK anti-bullying effort.

Alesha cares deeply about animal rights and is a pescetarian (someone who eats fish but no other meat). She is Vice-President of the League Against Cruel Sports, a charity that works to stop cruelty to animals in sports. In 2012, Alesha traveled to Romania with World Animal Protection to rescue two brown bears from a closed zoo. The bears were moved to a safe sanctuary. In 2014, Alesha asked her followers on Twitter to sign a petition to ban the slaughter of animals without being stunned first. Alesha also supports the PetRetreat scheme by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). This scheme helps victims of domestic abuse by fostering their pets, as many safe houses don't allow animals. The pets are later reunited with their owners.

On International Women's Day in 2012, Alesha launched Avon's "Pass It On" campaign to raise awareness about domestic abuse in the UK. People could buy a necklace, which Alesha described as "a symbol of women's empowerment." All the money from the necklace sales went to charities like Refuge and Women's Aid. In March 2013, Alesha led a walk to the Houses of Parliament to raise awareness about domestic violence. She said that awareness of domestic violence was still "shockingly low."

Alesha has also worked with several LGBT charities, including Switchboard and RUComingOut. She supports same-sex marriage, gender equality, and more help for trans individuals. Her popularity in the LGBT community has led her to perform at many gay pride parades, including London Pride and Brighton Pride in 2016.

In September 2020, Alesha wore a necklace that spelled "BLM" on an episode of Britain's Got Talent, showing her support for the Black Lives Matter movement. This led to some complaints, but Alesha's actions were seen as showing solidarity with the dance group Diversity, who had performed a routine about the murder of George Floyd the week before.

Other Ventures and TV Presenting

Dixon at her fragrance launch in 2014

Besides singing, Alesha has also become a TV presenter, made documentaries, and started her own businesses. In November 2009, Alesha announced her own jewelry line. In January 2014, she launched her own perfume called Rose Quartz. Alesha has also worked with various brands, including Ford cars, Toblerone chocolate, Avon cosmetics, and Thomson Airways airline. She was also the creative director for the gym chain LA Fitness in 2009. Alesha also voiced the character of Bliss in the 2016 version of Powerpuff Girls.

TV Presenting Roles

Alesha has presented many TV shows in the UK, such as the MOBO Awards (in 2002, 2010, and 2011) and CD:UK. She also presented ITV2's coverage of the Brit Awards. She has been a guest on BBC One's This Week several times. In 2008, Alesha presented her own mini-documentary called Alesha: Look But Don't Touch, which explored how digital technology creates "perfect" images and their impact on society.

In 2008 and 2009, she co-presented Children in Need with Terry Wogan and Tess Daly. She returned to present the telethon in 2011. In March 2010, Alesha co-presented the Mister World 2010 pageant in Korea.

Since August 2011, Alesha has presented Alesha's Street Dance Stars, a street-dance competition for CBBC. She also appeared in the CBBC series 12 Again. In May 2013, Alesha was a guest presenter on the ITV show Lorraine.

In the summer of 2013, Alesha and Paddy McGuinness co-presented one series of the ITV reality show Your Face Sounds Familiar.

In 2014 and 2015, Alesha co-presented parts of ITV's Text Santa telethon. In 2016, she co-presented Sport Relief 2016 on BBC One.

In 2017, Alesha co-presented Dance Dance Dance, a six-part reality series for ITV.

In 2019, Alesha co-hosted BBC’s Saturday night show The Greatest Dancer.

On 22 February 2023, it was confirmed that Alesha would co-host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. She hosted alongside actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, with Graham Norton joining them for the grand final.

Alesha Dixon's Music Albums

• Fired Up (2006)
• The Alesha Show (2008)
• The Entertainer (2010)
• Do It for Love (2015)

Alesha Dixon on TV and Film

Television Appearances

Film Appearances

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• The Alesha Show (2009)

Supporting Tours

• Enrique Iglesias UK Tour (2009)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Alesha Dixon para niños