Alex: I’ll dance on for Mum
Grieving Strictly star’s pledge as her mother, 53, loses kidney battle
HEARTBROKEN Alexandra Burke has made decided to continue on Strictly Come Dancing despite the death of her mother on Monday.
The X Factor winner revealed the sad news on Twitter, saying that taking part in the BBC ballroom contest was what mum Melissa Bell would have wanted. The ex-lead singer of 80s R&B group Soul II Soul had battled kidney failure for years, brought on by diabetes. The mum of four, 53, missed one of Alexandra’s X Factor shows in 2008 due to dialysis issues.
Yesterday Alexandra, 29, posted: “Our beautiful, funny and loving mum, Melissa Bell has passed away. We will never forget her unconditional love, support, charisma, strength and courage.”
She added: “She was over the moon when I told her I was doing Strictly. It was always a dream I would one day be part of the show and I know she would have wanted me to carry on.”
In 2013, the star revealed she had been looking after her mother, who was on life-saving dialysis eight hours a day. She even tried to persuade her to take one of her own kidneys. Alex said: “Mum made the choice and shut down the discussion because the doctors said it could mean I wouldn’t be able to conceive.” A Strictly spokesman said: “Everyone would like to express their deepest sympathies to Alexandra.”