‘The new series of BGT could be the best ever!’
Alesha Dixon on the talent show’s long-awaited comeback and juggling her many projects with family life
This year has been an unusual one for Alesha Dixon. Normally, much of her time would have been taken up with filming Britain’s Got Talent, but with the show cancelled for 2021 due to the pandemic, the 43-yearold judge has been able to turn her attention to some other projects close to her heart.
As well as launching her own wellness brand, NobleBlu, Alesha has released her sixth children’s book. She’s also been busy in the studio working on new music.
And with such a demanding career and being a parent to daughters Azura, eight, and twoyear-old Anaya with her husband Azuka Ononye, 40, Alesha admits that trying to fit it all in can be a struggle.“The juggle is real,”she says, laughing.
Here, the former Mis-Teeq singer tells us about how delighted she is to be returning to the next series of BGT and how it feels to be reuniting with her fellow judges…
Hi, Alesha! How excited are you about the return of
Got Talent?
Britain’s
I can’t wait! We’ve got the audition dates in the diary for the middle of January and at the moment it’s all systems go. Everybody is quietly excited. I think everyone is treading a little bit cautiously as life is ever-changing and a bit unpredictable, but for the most part everyone is excited to be reunited. I think it could be the best series we’ve ever
had. There’s going to be so much talent that is just bursting to get out on stage.
Have you missed the show?
Yes, we’ve missed each other and we’ve really missed the show. Of course, everyone who works on the show appreciated it, but when something is taken away from you, you have a bigger appreciation for it. I think the first day back is going to be like a party. Fingers crossed I’ll have a lovely Christmas because I know that as soon as Christmas is over, BGT is back on the road.
Was it strange having a year without it?
It was the strangest thing ever because we see each other regularly every year. If we’d done the show this year that would have been my 10th series and the line-up’s been the same for 10 series, so for a long time that’s just been our normality. We all have such a lovely relationship and have kept in contact and seen each other throughout the year.
But the four of us haven’t been in a room together for ages.
So it will be a party… Yes! It’s kind of like when you have family members that you’re close to and everyone is dotted around here, there and everywhere. When we do get back together I think it will feel like a reunion.
Do you have more children’s books in the pipeline?
Earlier this year I released my sixth children’s book called Girls
Rule. It’s about sisterhood and friendship and has the UK’s first black female prime minister, which is really cool. I feel like I have some form of responsibility now to ensure that each book I release outdoes the previous book and keeps my young readers interested, but it’s a good pressure. No matter who you are or what you do, you’re always trying to better yourself and become a better version of yourself. So whether it’s music, books, writing or other projects, I’m constantly trying to grow and elevate and become a better version of myself.
Can we expect new music from you soon?
I’m continually writing and I’m in the studio as that’s just part of my life. I put out a track called Raw as a taster track but hopefully next year there’ll be an EP and an album.
And tell us about working with Lego on its Rebuild The World campaign…
The Lego Group approached me about the campaign and I thought it was a lovely idea. I had the nice job of choosing which of the children’s Lego creations got brought to life. I was genuinely blown away by some of the ideas, but Amelie, who is only eight, came up with this brilliant idea to revamp her grandma’s mobility scooter and make it more personal.
What was it like telling Amelie that her creation was being brought to life?
It was a really fun day. She was such a confident little girl and a pleasure to be around. When it comes to children’s creativity and the encouragement of that, that’s right up my street. It’s so important to always uplift children and make them feel they could do anything. Lego is a great starting place for children’s creativity and problemsolving. My girls love Lego.
Alesha has teamed up with the Lego Group to bring Amelie’s Lego build to life. For details on its Rebuild The World campaign, visit lego.com/rebuild-the-world