I love the fact that I can live a spontaneous lifestyle.
— Alesha Dixon
Babies smell amazing, but I'm not one of these women who smell a baby and go, 'I want one.' I see a dog over the field and go, 'I want one.'
I started out as a duo with Mis-Teeq's Sabrina Washington, and we worked for four or five years before signing a record deal. I had no money, and I was taking part-time jobs just to earn the train fare to get to rehearsals.
As time goes by, we're getting more accepting of the differences between one another - whether it's gay or transgender, whether it's black or white - but there's still a lot of people in the world who don't feel that they can express themselves as they want.
When there is a danceoff, it's scary thinking that someone's destiny or fate is in your hands. I actually always prefer it when the public decide on something rather than four individuals. 11 million people are a lot more powerful than four judges.
The older you are, the wiser you are. The more comfortable you are in your own skin, the more you know yourself, the more patient you are. I don't sweat the small stuff any more.
I'm happy to be human, and being human means we aren't perfect.
I've got so many dance heroes, and it's such a cliche, but how can I not say Michael Jackson? Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul - they are the people I remember when I was a little girl, watching their videos and trying to learn all the choreography.
At home, my daughter Azura has got this long blonde wig that she loves, and she's obsessed with Rapunzel, but you need to have balance. It's important that she understands her curly hair is beautiful, too.
I love being a female. I love being the boss.
When women listen to my music, I want them to feel empowered.
Life's too short to dwell on things. When you go through experiences that are bad, it's a good thing. You learn from it - become a stronger person. Life is a roller coaster, and you don't know what's going to be thrown at you next, so all you can do is give it your best shot.
I've always been taught that life is a series of chapters, and it's all about moving forward and not carrying around baggage.
My laugh is filthy. I'd change it if I could, but it's become a trademark.
This is going to make me sound awful, but I was 18 when I took my first flight because the Prince of Brunei flew Mis-Teeq over to play at his birthday party! I was in business class being fed amazing food. I got over my fear pretty quickly.
I'm the most organised person in the world. Apparently, I'm just like Monica from 'Friends' because I am hyper, hyper organised. It's probably bordering on OCD.
A family holiday to Jamaica in 2004 - my uncle was getting married out there, and it was the first holiday I'd had in Jamaica, which is where my father is from. My friends and I stayed in a really plush hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, so we had a great experience.
Anyone who walks out on stage, whether he's eight or 80, they'll go, 'Oh, Alesha, he'd be good for you.' I'm the butt of the single jokes.
When I saw Neneh Cherry singing on TV, I was so glad that there was someone of the same ethnicity - and with the same curly hair - for me to look up to.
I had kind of left college. I wanted to study to be a sports teacher, but I had that little inner voice within me that said, 'You should be doing something else,' and I followed that gut instinct.
I like 'Strictly' because it is warm, glamourous, and brings families together.
We always have a really bad dancer on 'Strictly,' like Kate Garraway or Fiona Phillips, and that's great, and we love it, but when it comes to the quarters and semis, you want the best dancers left in.
Azura is a complete joy and has changed my life. She keeps me on track. I want to make sure I'm the best person I can possibly be for her.
The most important thing for me, when somebody asks me what I class as being a success, is being a decent human being.
People worry about their looks going, but go deeper, and you realise you know yourself more and you're more comfortable in your own skin and more settled within yourself, and that's a really great basis on which to live your life.
Every young person needs to have a character that they can identify with and feel included by.
I do believe that men and women are different, and that should be celebrated, but at the same time, I think there's a lot of things girls can do, and do equally, as well. Whether it's fighting for equal pay or just to be treated with respect, it's something I think is really important.
When I was a little girl, I was a little bit of a show off.
It's important to look at what you do have, not what you don't. I'm one of those people who wants a good life, so I do my best to snap out of it.
If you have a positive frame of mind, you can manifest positive things in your life.
I think all human beings can surprise themselves when they are in situations where they are tested. That's when you see your true character coming out, and I was definitely tested.
Growing up, I used to think I'd never get on a plane - I was terrified. But when I joined Mis-Teeq, being on a plane was my job. I used to scream on flights. Full-on screams.
I always take an iPod and iPod speakers so that when you're in the hotel room you can have it on, or when you're at the beach you can put it on quietly. Music can really set the tone for your holiday.
I don't worry about the future because that will take care of itself. I don't carry around past baggage because what's that going to do for me? We only have now.
I'm still friends with the girls I grew up with, and they're all on their second child. They're all like, 'Don't be in your 40s by the time you have kids,' and I'm like, 'Why not? There's nothing wrong with that.'
Britain is an amazing multicultural place to live in, and that should be celebrated and represented.
I guess when you're holding the creative reins, you can be across everything, and it's more authentic. You can control it.
What I loved about 'Strictly' as a viewer and contestant was that it was warm, family entertainment. So it is a shame for the show when controversy surrounds it. That is not what we like about 'Strictly.'
Even though I haven't released a song since 2010, I have still performed, so I don't feel I have been completely away from music. I have been away on a mainstream level, of course. But releasing a single this way - on my own independent record label - is more fun.
I used to be cagey about my love life. I was cagey for four years. Az and I only decided to come out because we were pregnant. Otherwise, we would have kept it quiet. It really was a case of staying private. I am not one of those people who frivolously throws their private life out there.
I love to look good - I love to get glammed up - but it's not the most important thing in my world, and I'm not afraid to not be perfect. I can see where there is a lot of pressure 'cause we live in a very visual world, but I try to go a bit deeper than that. Things are just more important!
Maybe because I'm mixed race, I don't see the colour when I look at Meghan; I just see a beautiful, articulate, lovely woman who has stolen the heart of Harry, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness.
When I first got the call to do 'Britain's Got Talent', it was actually Amanda who was one of the first people to reach out to me and suggest we go out for a coffee and have a conversation. And we did, and it was great.
Once you've been through tough times, you can only become stronger.
'The Alesha Show' was done with production crew Xenomania, and this time, I've worked with a lot of upcoming new producers.
Life's easier and nicer when you let go of the past and look to the future.
Dancing is one of the best ways of expressing yourself, and I definitely use it to release emotion.
I used to have seven dogs; now I have a more manageable four. I was in Cornwall, and one dog got swept away downstream, so my cousin dived in to get it, then her dog dived in. So I jumped in to rescue hers. Those dogs are my calm. That's how I cope with the business - I get the sanity on my woodland dog walks, being a tomboy.
I used to be really afraid and anxious of taking on too much, and the older I'm getting, the more fearless I'm becoming. Life is so much more relaxed when you're like that.
Going out to eat is one of the most enjoyable things about going away, and I do like to try the local delicacies. I'm very open-minded with food, and I think, when you go abroad, that's the time to experiment and try something new.
