Alesha Dixon

[14] Between the ages of eight and ten, Dixon witnessed her mother suffer domestic violence from her partner;[15] she only spoke publicly about the issue 21 years later, in 2010.

[16] After completing a diploma course in sports studies,[16] she had planned to take up a place at Loughborough University,[17] but at dance classes in London she was approached by a talent scout from a production company.

[18] Dixon's career began in 1999 when she met Sabrina Washington as they both joined a dance school in Fulham, south west London.

[20] The genre of the track departed from the group's R&B style, in favour of a garage-based sound, however, the tepid reaction from fans ensured Damage did not venture further into garage.

[23] In October 2001, they released their debut album Lickin' On Both Sides, featuring hits "One Night Stand", "B with Me" and double A-side single "Roll On/This Is How We Do It".

She spent a year writing and recording her solo debut album, Fired Up, working with a wide range of producers including Richard X, Xenomania, Johnny Douglas, Brian Higgins, Estelle and Paul Epworth.

Coinciding with her professional troubles was the collapse of her marriage to Harvey; Dixon filed for divorce just over a year after her wedding due to her husband's affair with Javine Hylton.

[18] They received 4.5 million votes in the final, beating actor Matt Di Angelo and professional dancer Flavia Cacace to win the glitter disco ball.

[39] The track, a ballad penned by Dixon and Gary Barlow, was the first single taken from the deluxe version, entitled The Alesha Show – Encore, released on 23 November.

[52] Acknowledging the album's lack of commercial success, Dixon said she would always prefer to "take a chance creatively" than release what she perceived to be stultifying records.

I'd rather make a unique record like 'Drummer Boy' and have it fail than play it safe and release bland, generic music that doesn't excite me.

[57] It was announced in June 2013 that Dixon was expecting her first child with her partner, backing dancer Azuka Ononye,[58] and on her 35th birthday, 7 October 2013, she stated on Twitter that she had given birth to her daughter, Azura Sienna, the previous week.

[62] Dixon was criticised for forgetting the words to "God Save the Queen" when performing a solo at the July 2015 British Grand Prix.

[70] Dixon co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool alongside Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham with Graham Norton joining them for the final.

[71] When Dixon first emerged into the public spotlight with Mis-Teeq, she was primarily the group's MC, whilst Sabrina Washington usually sang lead vocals on the records.

The album featured no rapping and was primarily R&B and soul, unlike Mis-Teeq's music, which focused mainly on garage and hip hop.

[78] Growing up, the first record Dixon ever bought was "Push It" by the hip hop group Salt-n-Pepa; she remarked "I didn't understand what they were talking about at the time ...

[79] Despite growing up in the predominantly white area of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, Dixon's father Melvin would take her to the Notting Hill Carnival in London to allow her to experience some of her Jamaican heritage.

[80] The music she would hear influenced her tastes, as she commented: "all the dancehall records I saved up to buy – Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton – I heard them at Notting Hill".

[82] "There are so many things you could reel off as negatives [with regards to fame] – your private life is exposed, every move is scrutinised – at the same time, you can think: 'Wow, I'm in a position to shine a light into these areas.'

[84] In 2009, Dixon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for Comic Relief with Girls Aloud members Cheryl Cole and Kimberley Walsh, Ben Shephard, Ronan Keating, Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen, Chris Moyles and Gary Barlow, who had spearheaded the project.

[86] Dixon is a patron of the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT)[87] which is a voluntary charity, whose main aim is to increase the number of Black and Mixed Parentage people on the UK Bone Marrow Register.

The members of the ACLT freely volunteer their time in attempting to raise awareness in the Black community; enabling potential donors to come forward and be involved in the process of offering hope and a healthy future to someone whose disorder may otherwise prove fatal.

[91] In 2012, Dixon travelled to Romania with World Animal Protection to rescue two brown bears from Onesti Zoo, which had closed years previously.

[103] In September 2020, Dixon wore a necklace that spelt out "BLM" on an episode of Britain's Got Talent, in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dixon's actions were seen as her showing her solidarity with the dance troupe Diversity, who had the previous week performed a routine referencing the murder of George Floyd, which had similarly prompted complaints.

[104] As well as a singer, Dixon has forayed into television presenting, created three documentaries, and has established herself as a businesswoman through various endorsement deals and lucrative contracts.

[106] Dixon has represented various brands, including car manufacturers Ford, the Toblerone chocolate bar, cosmetics company Avon and airline Thomson Airways.

In 2008, Dixon presented her own mini-documentary entitled Alesha: Look But Don't Touch, which was first aired on BBC Three and featured a guest appearance from Cheryl Cole.

[117] On 22 February 2023, it was confirmed that Dixon would co-host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, alongside actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, with Graham Norton joining them to present the grand final.

Dixon grew up in the town of Welwyn Garden City , Hertfordshire.
Alesha Dixon performing in Leeds in 2008.
Alesha Dixon (left) hosting Eurovision 2023 alongside Sanina, Waddingham and Norton.
Dixon performing in 2009.
Dixon at her fragrance launch in 2014