Alesha Dixon working ‘super hard’ to stop children having phones

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Singer Alesha Dixon has revealed that she is working “super hard” to prevent her children from having smartphones.

The British star, 46, who shares children Azura and Anaya with British-born Nigerian artist Azuka Ononye, is returning to ITV show Britain’s Got Talent as a judge this month.

Dixon told Women’s Health UK: “As long as we can avoid our daughters having phones, we’re going try our hardest. (Azura, 11) can be begging me for a mobile phone and I feel no way to be like ‘nope’ because I’ve got one.

“(But) you’ve got to be strong with it. My thing is this: if she doesn’t need a phone then why is she having one?

“If I can delay her being in that world, I’m going to work super hard to make sure that it doesn’t happen. I don’t care if her friends have got phones. In our house, we don’t want that.”

The issue was recently explore in the Channel 4 documentary Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones, fronted by married TV presenters Emma and Matt Willis.

It found that the sleep and behaviour of pupils improved thanks to giving up their smartphones.

The Conservative Party has pushed for the Government to ban phones in classrooms.

The Government is conducting research in the area, led by the University of Cambridge, into the impact of social media on children’s overall wellbeing.

As Dixon is a cover star of Women’s Health UK’s March issue, she also spoke about how she would like to return to the 2000s, where you “can rave”, and be “on the mic” without it being all over social media.

She said: “It’s fine, but you just want to be in the moment – and then it’s on Instagram stories.”

Dixon also said that in some ways things are easier for young artists because of social media, as “now an artist can do one interview and seed it out to the world”.

“Back then, you’d have to go to every single radio station, you’d have to do every TV show, which is why we never had a life,” she added.

During 2024’s semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent, she performed a mash-up of tracks including Scandalous from her former girl band Mis-Teeq, her 2008 solo hit The Boy Does Nothing and her new song titled Ransom – her first track in nine years.

She recalled that she “felt so alive”, and “at home, surrounded by everybody that I know and love” on stage.

“I got to perform, which is my first love, and it was just such a beautiful moment for me,” Dixon said.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve missed performing so much.’ And I did say to myself after that performance…’Girl, you need to get back on stage more because that’s what makes you feel alive’.”

The star, born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, quit Mis-Teeq, also known for the hit Why?, before pursuing a solo career in 2005.

In 2007, she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and ultimately lifted the Glitterball trophy before becoming a judge on the BBC show, presenting talent show The Greatest Dancer, and the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.

The Dixon interview is available to read now on the Women’s Health UK website or in the magazine

The new series of Britain’s Got Talent begins on February 22nd at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX