Strictly Come Dancing Diva – By Simon Savidge

Alesha Dixon has always been a woman that we gays have adored ever since those ‘Scandalous’ days in Mis-teeq. We further loved her when she went onto Strictly Come Dancing and won, and then started releasing pop gems with lyrics like ‘do it the Madonna way’. We sent Simon Savidge to catch up with her on all things strictly, what we can expect from the new album and why she is urging all us boys to get on the dancefloor… in the gym?
There are two things that announce Alesha Dixon is in a room before you actually meet her. The first is her cackle, she is laughing with everyone pretty much every other minute “Life is funny, you have to laugh, even when its rubbish you have to laugh, maybe even more so”. The second thing is her legs, they seem to arrive about five minutes before she does and even the gayest of us gay men would not be able to stop themselves from staring. “I do like to get them out a lot’”she cackles before becoming very serious “I have awful feet though, seriously, I have to disguise them in faaaabulous shoes.”
Those feet however changed Alesha’s life; it’s down to them that Alesha won Strictly Come Dancing and the hearts of the nation after Mis-teeq disbanded. “I honestly couldn’t believe it; I didn’t think I had a chance. I know everyone said ‘oh you were in a girl band you could dance already’ but there’s a huge difference between wiggling about in a video and then the dancing you do on the show.” Now though, Alesha is fronting a new fitness regime that could get all of us showing people how its done on the dancefloor all by popping to your local LA Fitness and taking part in her Dance Fusion classes. “It’s a mix of Latin, hip-hop, street and I doubt I will have to ask too many gay men to join, you boys all love to get down on the floor, it’s one of the many things I love about you all.”
Alesha became the Creative Director of LA Fitness earlier in the year. “It’s something different. I like challenges and doing new things. I think most importantly though is that I want to promote something that is healthy. We don’t all have to be toned to the max, as long as we are healthy… that’s all that matters.” She cackles “There is also the added bonus of looking at hot men working out at the gym. Not that I am all about looks but when you are going through the pain barrier doing a new routine it’s nice to have some eye candy to look at isn’t it… come on you know it is.”
I find it hard to believe that Alesha isn’t bothered about image and looking good. “Honestly it’s true, I mean, I like to look nice in my videos and when I am on the telly that’s part and parcel of the job. I don’t need to straighten my hair or apply foundation just to pop to the local newsagent like some celebs. I also don’t watch what I eat. If I want a pizza I have a pizza… or a tub of ice-cream, some days I don’t want to work out. You have to treat yourself sometimes. I know it’s a cliché but when you are healthier you’re happier. I have found that to be true… and we all know I have lived.”
Though we don’t talk about how her marriage broke down, after her ex-husband had a rather public affair, you get a feeling that this is initially what she might be thinking about. There is also how she felt after her first label dropped her before an album release. “I thought the world had ended it was horrific It’s all I have ever wanted to do and I thought it had all gone.” There was also her controversial appointment onto the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel. “It is hard when you have been given a job and everyone is saying that you don’t deserve it. You wouldn’t get that in any other profession. I stuck to it… I think I have won people round.” Will she be back for the next series? “I hope so. Nothing is officially signed yet but it’s looking very likely. I bloody love that show.”
There is also something on the horizon that Alesha is very, very excited about, her new album which comes out in the autumn. “We have some amazing songs. There’s currently only one ballad and that might be how it stays, I want a party album. I think actually this is the album that everyone thought I would make after I left the band. I am ridiculously excited about it.” There goes that cackle again. “Oooh I want it to be out now!” Is she ready to be the UK’s disco diva? “Too right, I want all the ‘boys’ dancing in the clubs to it.” Would she like to be a gay icon? “Of course, which girl out there wouldn’t? In fact,” she muses, “I want Alesha Dixon Drag Queens… do you know if I have any? It would be amazing I would love that.” Alesha bursts into fits of cackles again and we are done… her laughter leaving the room long after her enviable legs have.
For more information on Alesha’s Dance Fusion classes visit www.lafitness.co.uk/alesha/
Alesha information visit www.aleshadixon.co.uk/