Alisha Dixon
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Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B /
UK Garage UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house and jungle production methods, but also incorporates elements from ...
group
Mis-Teeq Mis-Teeq were a British girl group, consisting of Sabrina Washington, Su-Elise Nash and Alesha Dixon. They were active from 1999 to 2005. Mis-Teeq had two top-ten albums and seven consecutive top-ten singles on the UK Singles Chart, as ...
, who had seven UK top 10 hits, two top 10
double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...
albums, and sold over 12 million records worldwide. After Mis-Teeq disbanded in 2005, Dixon signed with
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
to release her debut solo album, '' Fired Up'' (2006); due to insufficient commercial reception from its lead singles, "
Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...
" and " Knockdown", she was dropped from Polydor. In 2007, Dixon was a contestant on the fifth series of the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
dancing competition show ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
,'' which she won. Her television exposure led to a successful musical comeback, which included her signing to
Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...
. In 2008, she released her second album, '' The Alesha Show,'' which was
certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) and produced the successful singles "
The Boy Does Nothing "The Boy Does Nothing" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It is the lead single from her second studio album, '' The Alesha Show'' (2008). The song was written by Alesha along with the help of Brian Higgins, Miranda ...
" and " Breathe Slow", the latter of which became her highest charting single and earned her a Brit Award nomination. In 2009, Dixon became a judge on ''Strictly Come Dancing,'' and the following year, she released her third album, ''The Entertainer''. In 2012, shortly after judging the ninth series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'', Dixon quit to become a judge on the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
talent competition show ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global '' Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquial ...
''. She has since judged on '' America's Got Talent: The Champions'' (2020), ''
Walk the Line ''Walk the Line'' is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies by the American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash: '' Man in Black: His Own ...
''. (2021), and ''
Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the '' Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from ...
'' (2022). As a television presenter, Dixon has hosted '' Alesha's Street Dance Stars'' (2010), ''
Your Face Sounds Familiar ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' ( Spanish: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive reality television franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series '' Soundmixshow'', was ...
'' (2013), ''
Text Santa ''Text Santa'' was a charity initiative set up in 2011 by ITV to support UK-based charities during the Christmas period. The appeal to the public is to donate money mainly via text donation and profits from merchandise. The telethons have been h ...
'' (2014–2015), '' Dance Dance Dance'' (2017), ''
The Greatest Dancer ''The Greatest Dancer'' is a British dance competition television series created by Simon Cowell and produced by Syco Entertainment. The first BBC programme created by Cowell, ''The Greatest Dancer'' sees previously undiscovered dance acts perfo ...
'' (2019–2020), ''
Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
'' (2019–2022), and the
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as , the winner of the with the song "Stefania (song), Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, was unable to host the eve ...
. She is also a writer of children's books, including the best-selling novel series ''Lightning Girl''.


Life and career


Early life

Alesha Anjanette Dixon was born on 7 October 1978 in
Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second Garden city movement, garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first New towns in the United Kingdom, new towns (designated 1948). It is ...
to a Jamaican father, Melvin Dixon, and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
mother, Beverly Harris. Dixon has six half-siblings. She was educated at
Monk's Walk School Monk's Walk School is a secondary school with academy status located on the outskirts of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. It opened in 1964 and became an Academy in 2012. The school's motto is: "Excellence for All". The school's ann ...
in Welwyn. Dixon's parents separated when she was four and her father moved away; she has described her family life as "very dysfunctional". Between the ages of eight and ten, Dixon witnessed her mother suffer
domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
from her partner; she only spoke publicly about the issue 21 years later, in 2010. Dixon created a documentary for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, ''Don't Hit My Mum'', regarding the issue of domestic abuse from a child's perspective, and remarked upon her own childhood: "When I think about that time, I don't remember living in harmony, I don't remember any fun times, I suppose because the negativity has clouded it. The negative times and the scary times have blocked anything that was good ... I believe that every child has the right to grow up in an environment where they feel secure and fearless going into the world, and I didn't really feel that". Dixon's first job was at
Ladbrokes Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The Ladbrokes portion of the group was established in 1886, and Coral in 1926. In November 2016, th ...
, although she aspired to become a PE teacher after leaving college. After completing a diploma course in sports studies, she had planned to take up a place at
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
, but at dance classes in London she was approached by a
talent scout In professional sports, scouts are experienced talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports, and they determine whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the s ...
from a production company. While travelling back home on the train she was approached by another scout who was forming a group and asked if she was interested.


1999–2005: Mis-Teeq

Dixon's career began in 1999 when she met
Sabrina Washington Sabrina Fredrica Washington (born 27 October 1978) is a British singer, actress, and entrepreneur initially known as the lead singer of UK garage, garage/contemporary R&B, R&B girl group Mis-Teeq. Early life Washington was born in Harlesde ...
as they both joined a dance school in
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
, south west London. Together, they decided to form a group when Dixon and Washington, the two co-founders, spotted Su-Elise Nash, a girl auditioning for another group. Dixon and Washington proposed that Nash join the group and together they formed a trio. They were soon signed to
Telstar Records Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004. Background Telstar Records was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,000. It was launched as a specialist compilation marketi ...
with the addition of a new member,
Zena McNally Zena McNally (born 8 March 1979) is an English former-radio presenter and singer, best known as one of the original members of girl-group Mis-Teeq. She left in early 2001, only featuring on the group's first single ''Why''. McNally co-hosted ...
, and became the popular UK garage/R&B girl group,
Mis-Teeq Mis-Teeq were a British girl group, consisting of Sabrina Washington, Su-Elise Nash and Alesha Dixon. They were active from 1999 to 2005. Mis-Teeq had two top-ten albums and seven consecutive top-ten singles on the UK Singles Chart, as ...
. In October 2000, Dixon, then relatively unknown, featured on the single "Rumours" by
Damage Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance".Farrar, C.R., Sohn, H., ...
, which charted modestly at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. The genre of the track departed from the group's R&B style, in favour of a
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicl ...
-based sound, however, the tepid reaction from fans ensured Damage did not venture further into garage. In January 2001, Mis-Teeq released their first single, "
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in v ...
". The track remained commercially unnoticed until a garage remix was produced and the track charted at number 8 in January of that year. Two separate music videos for the song were filmed, accompanying the different versions of the song. The song's success coincided with Zena McNally's departure; McNally later alleged that friction between herself and Washington was a factor. Mis-Teeq, continuing as a trio, then released " All I Want", which charted even more successfully at number 2, behind
Shaggy Shaggy may refer to: People *Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer *Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse *Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspora ...
's "
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
". In October 2001, they released their debut album '' Lickin' On Both Sides'', featuring hits "
One Night Stand A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
", "
B with Me "B with Me" is a song by British girl group Mis-Teeq. It was written by band members Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash, and Sabrina Washington along with Mushtaq for their debut album, ''Lickin' on Both Sides'' (2001). Rather than the album version, ...
" and double A-side single " Roll On/This Is How We Do It". In 2002, Mis-Teeq performed and received a nomination at the BRIT Awards in
Earls Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...
, later in the year band won the
MOBO Award The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Bant ...
for Best Garage Act. After the success of their debut album, 2003 saw Mis-Teeq becoming the faces of
JD Sports JD Sports Fashion plc, commonly known as JD Sports, JD or JD Group is a British multinational sports-fashion retail company based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 10 ...
stores nationwide. In 2003, Mis-teeq released their second album '' Eye Candy'', which included the singles " Scandalous", "
Can't Get It Back "Can't Get It Back" is a song by American recording group Blaque. It was written by Salaam Remi, Marlon Williams, and Hernst "StayBent" Bellevue, and band member Natina Reed for the group's second album, ''Blaque Out'' (2002). Production was hel ...
" and "
Style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...
". In 2004, Mis-Teeq toured the United States and released their debut single "Scandalous" from their American self-titled debut, a compilation of the albums ''Lickin' On Both Sides'' and ''Eye Candy''. In 2004, Dixon went to feature in the
N.E.R.D N.E.R.D. (a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) was an American rock and hip-hop band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1994. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists ...
music video "
She Wants to Move "She Wants to Move" is a single by American hip hop and rock group N*E*R*D from their second studio album, ''Fly or Die'' (2004). It was written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo and released on February 9, 2004, as the album's lead single. The ...
". In the video, she is shown dancing on a podium whilst the group circled her. It was also rumoured that she was dating
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
around the time of the video. The last song Dixon recorded with Mis-Teeq was " Shoo Shoo Baby" for the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
film '' Valiant''. In March 2005, their ''Greatest Hits'' compilation was released and it was announced that they were separating to pursue solo careers. Dixon married Michael Harvey Jr in June 2005. In November 2006, the couple divorced following Harvey's affair with singer
Javine Hylton Javine Dionne Hylton (born 27 December 1981), often known simply as Javine, is a retired English singer and songwriter. She gained recognition on ITV's '' Popstars: The Rivals'' and represented the UK at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Ky ...
.


2006–2008: ''Fired Up'', record label departure and ''Strictly Come Dancing''

Dixon launched her solo career after Mis-Teeq's break-up and signed a £500,000, three-album deal with Polydor Records. She spent a year writing and recording her solo debut album, '' Fired Up'', working with a wide range of producers including
Richard X Richard Philips, better known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for art ...
,
Xenomania Xenomania is an English songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent. Formed by Higgins with his Creative Director Miranda Cooper and Business Director Sarah Stennett of First Access Entertainment, Xenomania has w ...
, Johnny Douglas,
Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American former politician who was the U.S. representative for , from 2005 until 2024. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 and as the 26th from 2013 to 2024, included ...
, Estelle and Paul Epworth. During this period, Dixon performed
mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...
, known simply as "Alesha". In June 2005, she announced her first solo single to be "Superficial". However, at the last minute, the song "
Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetics, cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick ...
" was chosen as the first single. "Lipstick" was released on 14 August 2006, and charted at 14 on the UK Single Charts. Dixon released her second single " Knockdown" on 30 October 2006, which charted at 25 on the
UK Download Chart The UK Singles Downloads Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. Since July 2015, the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, with the chart date given as the following Thursday. The main chart con ...
. However, on the official UK Singles Charts, the single peaked at number 45, falling down to 68 the following week. On 6 November 2006, it was revealed that Dixon had been dropped by her
label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...
, Polydor Records. Polydor gave her full rights to her unreleased debut album, ''Fired Up''. 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 Javine Dionne Hylton (born 27 December 1981), often known simply as Javine, is a retired English singer and songwriter. She gained recognition on ITV's '' Popstars: The Rivals'' and represented the UK at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Ky ...
. Dixon took part in series 5 of TV show ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2007, partnered with professional dancer
Matthew Cutler Matthew David Cutler (born 30 October 1973) is an English dancer and former World Amateur Latin-American champion. He was a professional dancer on the BBC dancing show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Cutler was born in Chelmsford, Essex. ...
. Dixon was at first hesitant to join, fearing that snobbery within the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
would damage her career. In a later interview, she said, "there's always this preconceived idea that people do reality TV shows because they want to kick-start their careers whereas I was actually worried that it would affect it." They had been the favourite from the third week, receiving the most points from the judges on numerous occasions. Dixon herself gained high appraisal from the judges, even being likened to a "young
Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...
" by
Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli (; born 25 November 1955) is a British-Italian television personality, choreographer and dancer. He has judged on the British television talent shows ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2004–2019), ''DanceX'' (2007) and ''Britain's Got Ta ...
. They received 4.5 million votes in the final, beating actor
Matt Di Angelo Mario Angelo Stavrou Constantinou (born 1 May 1987), professionally known as Matt Di Angelo, is a British actor and singer, best known for his role as Dean Wicks in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He also portrayed Sean Kennedy in the BBC d ...
and professional dancer
Flavia Cacace Flavia Cacace-Mistry (born 1980) is an Italian British professional dancer. Her professional dance partner is Vincent Simone (they are branded when performing together as 'Vincent and Flavia'), and between 2006-2012 both partners appeared on t ...
to win the glitter disco ball.


2008–2009: ''The Alesha Show'' and ''Strictly Come Dancing'' judging

After she won ''Strictly Come Dancing'', Dixon soon became the centre of a bidding war between record labels and even
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
, the label that had dropped her months previously, put in an offer. Dixon, however, chose to sign a four-album contract with Asylum Records in 2008. Dixon's first new album as part of her contract, '' The Alesha Show'' was released in the UK on 24 November 2008 and 21 November in Ireland. The official first single from the album, "
The Boy Does Nothing "The Boy Does Nothing" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It is the lead single from her second studio album, '' The Alesha Show'' (2008). The song was written by Alesha along with the help of Brian Higgins, Miranda ...
" became her first solo top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart, following a 76 spot jump from 84 to 8 on the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone; the single eventually peaked at number 5 and received Gold certification. The song also became a commercial success in continental Europe and peaked in the top ten on the Australian Singles Chart. The single sold 1,000,000 copies worldwide. The second single from ''The Alesha Show'' was "Breathe Slow" and entered the UK Singles Chart at number thirty-nine solely on download sales. The single rose for three weeks before breaking into the top ten at number six, giving Dixon her second top ten hit in the UK from downloads alone, and eventually peaked at number 3 on the Top 40 UK Charts, becoming Dixon's highest charting single on the UK Singles Chart. "Breathe Slow" was certified Silver in the UK for sales exceeding 200,000. The third single from ''The Alesha Show'', titled "
Let's Get Excited "Let's Get Excited" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It is the third single from her second studio album, '' The Alesha Show'', released by Asylum Records. The song has been added to BBC Radio 1's A-List. The single ...
" was physically released on 11 May and reached a peak position of 13 in the UK Singles Chart. "Let's Get Excited" became Dixon's first track from ''The Alesha Show'' not to chart inside the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The song's presence in the charts boosted album sales and ''The Alesha Show'' rebounded at a new peak of 11. The album received Platinum certification from BPI, indicating sales of over 300,000 in the UK alone. The fourth single from ''The Alesha Show'', called " To Love Again" was released on 15 November 2009. The track, a ballad penned by Dixon and
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, having writ ...
, was the first single taken from the deluxe version, entitled ''The Alesha Show – Encore'', released on 23 November. Dixon also embarked upon a 17-date national tour, named The Alesha Show, which began on 20 October 2009 in
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
. It was revealed in July 2009 that Dixon would be joining the ''Strictly Come Dancing'' judging panel in September 2009. She replaced
Arlene Phillips Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, former television judge, presenter, and dancer. She reached mainstream fame on television as a judge on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2004-2008) a ...
, which led to the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
being accused of
ageism Ageism, also called agism in American English, is a type of discrimination based on one's age, generally used to refer to age-based discrimination against Old age, elderly people. The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe this ...
and
sexism Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
by the media. Dixon, having a conflicting schedule also had to rearrange three dates on her upcoming tour, The Alesha Show to do the show, which is broadcast live on Saturday nights. Dixon's judging debut was met by criticism by some viewers, and 272 complaints were received by the BBC, according to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''. Despite the complaints, the BBC stated they were "delighted" with Dixon.


2010–2011: ''The Entertainer''

In early 2010, Dixon began work on her third studio album, ''The Entertainer'', which she intended to release during the summer. On 15 March Dixon flew to Denmark to begin recording with
Soulshock & Karlin Soulshock & Karlin is a Danish songwriting/production duo, consisting of Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. They have produced many successful songs, including 2Pac's "Do for Love", Monica's " Before You Walk Out of My Life", Whitney Houston's ...
, the producers of Dixon's "Breathe Slow". Dixon's fan site later reported that Dixon had secured a recording session with
Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
, a record producer who has produced records for
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's final studio album ''
Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 theatrical film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy/martial arts TV movie starring Billy Za ...
'' and most recently produced
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's "
Telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...
". On 16 June, Dixon revealed on a post on her fansite that the upcoming album would be called ''Unleashed'', and on 30 June her fansite president revealed the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
is a track called " Drummer Boy", produced by Haitian-American producer, Shama Joseph, or "ShamRock". On 5 August it was revealed that Dixon had decided to change the album name from ''Unleashed'' to ''The Entertainer''. "Drummer Boy", released in August, charted moderately at 15 on the UK Singles Chart. On 16 September, it was announced that Dixon had collaborated with
Roll Deep Roll Deep (formerly Roll Deep Entourage) are a British grime crew. They were founded in 2001 by Wiley shortly before the disbandment of UK garage crew Pay As U Go Cartel. The group have had two UK No. 1 singles, " Good Times" and "Green Lig ...
and featured in the band's single " Take Control". The track appeared on both Roll Deep's album—''
Winner Stays On ''Winner Stays On'' is the fourth studio album by London-based grime music collective Roll Deep; it was released on 8 November 2010. Three singles have been released from the album, including "Good Times" and "Green Light (Roll Deep song), Green ...
''—and ''The Entertainer''. "
Radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
", billed as ''The Entertainer''s second single, charted poorly upon release in November 2010, failing to reach the Top 40. The single's release coincided with the release of the album, which too made little commercial impact; a year later it was noted that the album had sold 60,000 copies. 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. She commented: "I knew the single 'Drummer Boy' was a risk. It was a very difficult record and so far removed from anything I'd done before. I get that ... I take full responsibility for that, but I'm glad I did it. 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."


2012–2014: ''Britain's Got Talent'', motherhood and other ventures

Dixon wrote and released a new track " Do It Our Way" for the New Year Weight Watchers campaign which featured in new advertisements for the organisation. The track was released onto
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
on 1 January 2012, as a digital download. On 2 January, Dixon announced her departure from her judging role on ''Strictly Come Dancing'', to pursue other projects. It was later announced that she left the panel to join the judging panel of ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global '' Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquial ...
'' replacing
Michael McIntyre Michael Hazen James McIntyre (born 21 February 1976) is a British comedian, writer, and television presenter. In 2012, he was the highest-grossing stand-up comedian in the world. He currently presents the variety and stand-up comedy show '' Mic ...
along with
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
,
Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English media personality, actress and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent competition show '' Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the national ''H ...
and
David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams (), is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little ...
(who replaced
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on the soap ...
). Michael Hogan, of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', pointed out that "if rumours are to be believed, Dixon has more than tripled her salary by defecting to the commercial channel", a point made by various other sources. In September 2012, it was announced that Dixon would be collaborating with former
So Solid Crew So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from Battersea, London, which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many members, the most notable being Asher D (Ashley Walters), Lisa Ma ...
rapper Ashley Walters on his new song "Your Love". The single was released on 11 November. It was announced in June 2013 that Dixon was expecting her first child with her partner, backing dancer Azuka Ononye, 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. Dixon said she would put her fourth album on hold and concentrate on motherhood. She and Ononye married in 2017. 11 years after first crossing paths in 2006. Their second daughter Anaya was born, 20 August 2019.


2014–present: ''Do It for Love''

In December 2014, Dixon announced that she would be releasing a new single in either March or May 2015. In March 2015, she confirmed that her new single " The Way We Are", would be released on 21 June via her own record label Precious Stone Records. It marked Dixon's first single release in over four years, following 2011's " Every Little Part of Me". The first live performance of the song took place on 23 May during one of ''Britain's Got Talent'' semi-finals. Dixon was criticised for forgetting the words to "
God Save the Queen "God Save the King" ("God Save the Queen" when the monarch is female) is '' de facto'' the national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is one of two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem of the Isle of Man, Australia, Canada and ...
" when performing a solo at the July 2015 British Grand Prix. Her fourth studio album titled '' Do It for Love'' was released on 9 October 2015. It peaked at number 81 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. The album's second and third singles were, respectively, "Tallest Girl" and the new version of "People Need Love" reworked by Ash Rowes. In 2016, Dixon made a cameo appearance in the 2016 film '' Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie''. On 24 June 2017, she stepped in for
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger ( ; ; born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the girl group and dance ensemble the Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With ...
at ''
The X Factor UK ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, and part of the global ''X Factor'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's British entertainment company, Thames (T ...
''
series 14 The Series 14 – NYSE Compliance Official exam is a qualification examination administered to compliance officials at New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) registered broker-dealers. The 110-question test is intended to ensure that individuals designa ...
Manchester auditions for one day. It was later announced that due to
Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (; born 9 October 1952) is an English-American television personality, music manager, and author. She is married to heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing on '' The Osbournes'' (2002–2 ...
having health issues Dixon would once again step in to judge at the Edinburgh auditions. She stepped in for a third time at the second live show on 29 October 2017, this time replacing Cowell. It was announced that Dixon was expecting her second child with her husband during the first live semi-final of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in May 2019. On 26 September 2019, it was announced that Dixon would be joining the judging panel for season two of '' America's Got Talent: The Champions''. On 13 June 2021, it was announced that Dixon would be a judge on the tenth season of ''
Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the '' Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from ...
'' to replace
Lucy Durack Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of ''Wicked'', and Elle Woods in the Australian production of '' Legally Blonde: The Musical''. She s ...
. On 4 November 2021, Dixon appeared as a guest judge on the
third series Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...
of the BBC drag competition series, ''
RuPaul's Drag Race UK ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
''. Dixon’s appearance was met with widespread acclaim. Dixon co-hosted the
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as , the winner of the with the song "Stefania (song), Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, was unable to host the eve ...
in Liverpool alongside
Julia Sanina Yuliia Oleksandrivna Bebko (; []; born 11 October 1990), professionally known as Julia Sanina ( ), is a Ukrainian singer and the front woman of the Ukrainian alternative rock band The Hardkiss. Biography Sanina was born into a family of mus ...
and
Hannah Waddingham Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Ch ...
with
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...
joining them for the final.


Artistry


Musical style

When Dixon first emerged into the public spotlight with
Mis-Teeq Mis-Teeq were a British girl group, consisting of Sabrina Washington, Su-Elise Nash and Alesha Dixon. They were active from 1999 to 2005. Mis-Teeq had two top-ten albums and seven consecutive top-ten singles on the UK Singles Chart, as ...
, she was primarily the group's MC, whilst
Sabrina Washington Sabrina Fredrica Washington (born 27 October 1978) is a British singer, actress, and entrepreneur initially known as the lead singer of UK garage, garage/contemporary R&B, R&B girl group Mis-Teeq. Early life Washington was born in Harlesde ...
usually sang lead vocals on the records. Washington encouraged her to rap from the group's inception, saying: "When she started she was a bit shy, but I always said that it adds something, an element of difference. It was the first time I'd ever heard a woman MC and I was like, 'Alesha, you have got to do that,' and she was like 'No Bri, don't make me look stupid'". However, when she began her solo career her first UK album, '' The Alesha Show'', saw Dixon undergo a
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
-shift. The album featured no rapping and was primarily R&B and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, unlike Mis-Teeq's music, which focused mainly on garage and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
. Dixon commented that the record consisted of "a lot more guitar-written songs with pop produced around it". Dixon's third album ''
The Entertainer ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' consists mainly of
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
/
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
tracks. Dixon, a songwriter and singer, often writes or co-writes her own records. Discussing the writing process of ''The Alesha Show'' she said, "I've written the majority of it and I co-write as well with a lot of people". Critics have suggested some of her songs are autobiographical, such as " To Love Again" (2009), co-written with Gary Barlow and
John Shanks John Matthew Shanks (born December 18, 1964) is an American songwriter, record producer and guitarist. He has been a longtime session and touring member of the rock band Bon Jovi. Early life and education Shanks was born in New York City and m ...
. Vocally, reviewer Andy Gill of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' suggested that Dixon's vocal strengths lie with more up-tempo songs, saying "the problem is that her bubbly personality (and voice) is simply not as well suited to ballads as to perky dancefloor anthems". However, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s Caroline Sullivan complimented her live vocals whilst reviewing her tour, The Alesha Show. She said, of her concert tour, that "it was her singing that made the impression: she's more powerful than you would imagine, and when pitted against her band at their most blaring, she more than held her own. While this was going on, she was being flung between two male hoofers, proving, if nothing else, that pop stars who claim they can't dance and sing simultaneously just aren't trying".


Influences

Dixon has often cited
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
as an influence, saying "Madonna is a big idol. I loved her when I was a young girl and I feel like I've been on a musical journey with her". Dixon's single "
Let's Get Excited "Let's Get Excited" is a song performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon. It is the third single from her second studio album, '' The Alesha Show'', released by Asylum Records. The song has been added to BBC Radio 1's A-List. The single ...
" namechecked the singer and her 1985 single "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured in the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the s ...
". Furthermore, the music video featured what Dixon described as "a Madonna tribute" featuring
voguing Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines. It gained mainstream exposure whe ...
throughout. Additionally, Dixon has described
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
as her childhood
idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...
. Growing up, the first record Dixon ever bought was " Push It" by the hip hop group
Salt-n-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (sometimes stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa) is an American hip-hop, hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (rapper), Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (rapper), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). ...
; she remarked "I didn't understand what they were talking about at the time ... They were raw and did their own thing, and I loved that. I love artists who don't conform to what people expect of them". 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 The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean Carnival event that has taken place in London since 1966
in London to allow her to experience some of her Jamaican heritage. The music she would hear influenced her tastes, as she commented: "all the
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
records I saved up to buy –
Shabba Ranks Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon OD (born 17 January 1966), better known by his stage name Shabba Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throu ...
,
Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, known professionally as Buju Banton, is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer. He is one of the most significant and well-re ...
– I heard them at Notting Hill". When asked during an interview who her favourite songwriter was, Dixon replied: "
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
. I love Lauryn Hill because she is not scared to talk about real life. She may say things that are slightly controversial but she gets people thinking and gets people talking". Dixon has also named
Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...
as great influence upon her. Cherry, a mixed-race singer, inspired her from an early age, with Dixon saying, "I remember seeing Neneh Cherry on the TV when I was little and turning to my mum and saying, 'Mummy, she looks like me'".


Activism and charity work

Dixon has described herself and other celebrities as having a "moral responsibility" to do good works, when asked by ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
''s
Elizabeth Day Elizabeth Day (born 10 November 1978) is an English novelist, journalist and broadcaster. She was a feature writer for ''The Observer'' from 2007 to 2016, and wrote for ''You'' magazine. Day has written nine books, and is also the host of the po ...
. Speaking in August 2010 to ''
Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...
'' Dixon said: "Being in the entertainment industry I do feel I have a responsibility that comes with my fame". In 2009, Dixon climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
in Tanzania for
Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
with
Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop music, pop girl group that was created through the ITV (TV network), ITV talent show ''Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl (singer), Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, N ...
members
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The R ...
and
Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott ( Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, dancer, television presenter and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series ''Popstars: The Rivals'' on ITV (TV network), ITV. Th ...
,
Ben Shephard Benjamin Peter Sherrington Shephard (born 11 December 1974) is an English television presenter and journalist who is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2024–present), alongside Cat Deeley. Shephard was a main presenter ...
,
Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and presenter. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop g ...
,
Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton (born 3 September 1981) is an English broadcaster and author. She began her career in the late 1990s as a children’s television presenter for GMTV, CITV and CBBC. She went on to present various television shows, including ''To ...
, Denise Van Outen,
Chris Moyles Christopher David Moyles (born 22 February 1974) is an English radio and television presenter, author and presenter of '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on Radio X. Previously he presented '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2012 ...
and Gary Barlow, who had spearheaded the project. Together they raised over £3,500,000 towards helping combat
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
in Tanzania. In June 2009 Dixon became an official ambassador for the charity Help a London Child, stating that she felt "very honoured" to be asked. Dixon is a patron of the
African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) is an independent UK charity for people with leukaemia and other life-threatening disorders. The ACLT aims to raise awareness on stem cell, blood and organ donation in the UK, with a particular focus on ...
(ACLT) 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. Dixon has also backed
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's See Something, Say Something campaign, a UK anti-bullying initiative. Dixon is engaged with various
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
organisations and is also a
pescetarian Pescetarianism ( ; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is a dietary practice in which seafood is the only source of meat in an otherwise vegetarian diet. The inclusion of other animal products, such as eggs and dairy, is optional. According to res ...
. She is Vice-President of the
League Against Cruel Sports The League Against Cruel Sports, formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer hunting; game bird shooting; and anim ...
, a charity which works to end cruelty to animals in the name of sport and featured in a charity appeal due to concerns that the
Hunting Act 2004 The Hunting Act 2004 (c. 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some strictly limited exemptions; the ...
could be repealed. In 2012, Dixon travelled to
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
with
World Animal Protection World Animal Protection, formerly The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), is an international non-profit animal welfare organization that has been in operation since 1981. The charity's mission is to create a better world for an ...
to rescue two
brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...
s from Onesti Zoo, which had closed years previously. The bears were moved to a nearby sanctuary. In 2014, Dixon encouraged her Twitter followers to sign an
online petition An online petition (or Internet petition, or e-petition) is a form of petition which is signed online, usually through a form on a website. Visitors to the online petition sign the petition by adding their details such as name and email address. T ...
calling for the ban of slaughtering animals without being stunned first. UK and EU law requires that animals must be stunned before slaughter, unless for religious purposes (
Halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
or
Kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...
meat). Dixon is also a supporter of the PetRetreat scheme launched by the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales which promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...
(RSPCA). The scheme fosters pets belonging to victims of domestic abuse, who often have to leave behind animals, as many refuges and safe houses do not allow pets. The pets are later reunited with their original owners when possible. In addition to Dixon's commercial role as a model and representative for the cosmetics company Avon on
International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
2012, Dixon launched the company's Pass It On campaign to highlight domestic abuse issues in the UK by encouraging the purchase of a necklace, described by her as "a symbol of women's empowerment, and infinite possibilities for women". All the proceeds from Avon's necklace campaign were donated to Refuge and
Women's Aid Women's Aid Federation of England, commonly called Women's Aid within England, is one of a group of charities across the United Kingdom. There are four main Women's Aid Federations, 3 for each of the countries of the United Kingdom, and one for t ...
. In March 2013 Dixon led a walk down
Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge crossing over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats ...
to the
Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...
to raise awareness of
domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
. Regarding the walk, Dixon commented that "awareness of domestic violence is still shockingly low and that's why it's so important that we raise awareness about a subject that is too often ignored". Dixon has worked with several
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
charities in the past, including Switchboard and RUComingOut. Dixon has spoken out in support of
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
,
gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...
, as well as a need for greater support of trans individuals, and those questioning their gender identity. Dixon's popularity within the LGBT community has led to her performing at numerous gay pride parades across the UK, headlining both London Pride and
Brighton Pride Brighton and Hove Pride is an annual LGBT pride event held in the city of Brighton and Hove, England, organised by Brighton Pride, a community interest company (CIC) which promotes equality and diversity, and advances education to eliminate dis ...
in 2016 alone. 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 Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movement. Ofcom, the British broadcasting regular, received 1,901 complaints about her choice of necklace. Dixon's actions were seen as her showing her solidarity with the dance troupe
Diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...
, who had the previous week performed a routine referencing the
murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...
, which had similarly prompted complaints.


Other ventures

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. In November 2009 Dixon announced the release of her jewellery line, and in January 2014 she launched her own fragrance, Rose Quartz. Dixon has represented various brands, including car manufacturers
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
, the
Toblerone Toblerone ( , ) is a Swiss chocolate brand owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft Foods Inc, Kraft Foods). Until 2022, it was produced exclusively in Bern, Switzerland, when a smaller, limited part of the portfolio began production i ...
chocolate bar, cosmetics company Avon and airline
Thomson Airways Thomson may refer to: Names * Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin * Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson Businesses and organizations * SGS-Thomson ...
. Additionally, Dixon was creative director of gym chain LA Fitness, a role which she assumed in 2009. Dixon signed a four-year results-based deal with the gym chain, with her remuneration based on the success of the company. Dixon voiced the character of
Bliss BLISS is a system programming language developed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) by W. A. Wulf, D. B. Russell, and A. N. Habermann around 1970. It was perhaps the best known system language until C debuted a few years later. Since then, C ...
on the 2016 version of ''
Powerpuff Girls ''The Powerpuff Girls'' is an American superhero animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera (later Cartoon Network Studios) for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Butt ...
''.


Presenting

Dixon has presented shows in the UK, such as the ''
MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Ba ...
'' (in 2002, 2010 and 2011), '' CD:UK'',
ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...
's coverage of the '' Brit Awards'' and presented the '' Live From the Red Carpet'' show at the
62nd British Academy Film Awards The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, took place on 8 February 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2008. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Televi ...
for E!. She has also been a guest on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
's current affairs programme ''
This Week This Week may refer to: * ''This Week'' (1956 TV programme), a 1956–1992 British current affairs television programme broadcast on ITV * ''This Week'' (2003 TV programme), a weekly British political discussion television programme that aired on ...
'' on two occasions, in November 2006 and December 2007. In 2008, Dixon presented her own mini-documentary entitled ''Alesha: Look But Don't Touch'', which was first aired on
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
and featured a guest appearance from
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The R ...
. The show explored "improvement" by digital technology in order to understand the impact all these "perfect" images have on society. In 2009, it was reported that Dixon was in talks with television companies about a possible chatshow. In 2008 and 2009, she co-presented
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
with
Terry Wogan Sir Michael Terence Wogan (; 3 August 1938 – 31 January 2016) was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in Britain for most of his career. Between 1993 and his semi-retirement in 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday brea ...
and
Tess Daly Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English television presenter and former model. Since 2004, she has co-presented the BBC One dancing competition show '' Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Helen Elizabeth Daly was born o ...
. She returned to present the telethon in 2011 with Daly, Wogan and
Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton (born 3 September 1981) is an English broadcaster and author. She began her career in the late 1990s as a children’s television presenter for GMTV, CITV and CBBC. She went on to present various television shows, including ''To ...
. In March 2010, Dixon co-presented the
Mister World 2010 Mister World 2010 was the 6th edition of the Mister World competition. It was held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, South Korea on March 27, 2010. 74 delegates competed from all around the world. Juan García Postigo of Spain crowned Kamal Ibra ...
pageant in
Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...
, Korea. Since 22 August 2011, Dixon presented a street-dance competition for
CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
called '' Alesha's Street Dance Stars''. She has also appeared in the
CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
series ''
12 Again ''12 Again'' is a show that premiered on CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all B ...
''. On 17 May 2013, Dixon was a guest presenter on
ITV Breakfast ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited (previously known as ''GMTV, GMTV Limited'') is the national ITV (TV network), ITV breakfast television licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc in November ...
magazine show ''
Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
''. In the summer of 2013, Dixon and
Paddy McGuinness Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, who invited him to appear on the television comedy series '' That Peter ...
co-presented one series of the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
reality show ''
Your Face Sounds Familiar ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' ( Spanish: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive reality television franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series '' Soundmixshow'', was ...
''. In 2014 and 2015, Dixon co-presented segments of ITV's ''
Text Santa ''Text Santa'' was a charity initiative set up in 2011 by ITV to support UK-based charities during the Christmas period. The appeal to the public is to donate money mainly via text donation and profits from merchandise. The telethons have been h ...
'' telethon. In 2016, she co-presented '' Sport Relief 2016'' on BBC One with
Greg James Gregory James Alan Milward (born 17 December 1985) is an English broadcaster and author. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 1 since 2007, hosting shows including his old drive-time show and the station's flagship breakfast show. Since 201 ...
. In 2017, Dixon co-presented '' Dance Dance Dance'', a six-part reality series for
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
alongside
Will Best William Trevorian Stuart Best (born 21 February 1985) is an English television presenter and entrepreneur. Best has presented numerous shows for Channel 4, ITV and the BBC including T4 on the Beach and '' Dance Dance Dance''. He has also written ...
. In 2019, Dixon co-hosted BBC’s Saturday night show ''
The Greatest Dancer ''The Greatest Dancer'' is a British dance competition television series created by Simon Cowell and produced by Syco Entertainment. The first BBC programme created by Cowell, ''The Greatest Dancer'' sees previously undiscovered dance acts perfo ...
''. On 22 February 2023, it was confirmed that Dixon would co-host the
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as , the winner of the with the song "Stefania (song), Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, was unable to host the eve ...
in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, alongside actress
Hannah Waddingham Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Ch ...
and Ukrainian singer
Julia Sanina Yuliia Oleksandrivna Bebko (; []; born 11 October 1990), professionally known as Julia Sanina ( ), is a Ukrainian singer and the front woman of the Ukrainian alternative rock band The Hardkiss. Biography Sanina was born into a family of mus ...
, with
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...
joining them to present the grand final.


Discography

* '' Fired Up'' (2006) * '' The Alesha Show'' (2008) * ''
The Entertainer ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (2010) * '' Do It for Love'' (2015)


Filmography


Television


Film


Concert tours


Headlining

* The Alesha Show (2009)


Supporting

*
Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...
UK Tour (2009)


Bibliography

* ''Lightning Girl'' (2018) * ''Lightning Girl 2: Superhero Squad'' (2018) * ''Lightning Girl 3: Secret Supervillain'' (2019) * ''Lightning Girl 4: Superpower Showdown'' (2019) * ''Star Switch'' (2020) * ''Girls Rule'' (2021) * ''Luna Wolf: Animal Wizard'' (2023) * ''Luna Wolf: Code Danger'' (2024)


Awards and nominations


References

;Bibliography * *


External links

*
Official Australian website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Alesha 1978 births Asylum Records artists Atlantic Records artists English female models English female dancers English people of Jamaican descent English contemporary R&B singers 21st-century Black British women singers 21st-century English women singers Black British women rappers English women rappers Living people Mis-Teeq members Musicians from Hertfordshire People from Welwyn Garden City Polydor Records artists Strictly Come Dancing winners UK garage singers English women in electronic music Comic Relief people Models from Hertfordshire