I consider Simon and Amanda family now our children hang out together'

Alesha Dixon on the secret to her success, the lasting bond with her fellow BGT judges and why young people should follow their dreams

- KENZI DEVINE

Presenter, pop star and children’s author Alesha Dixon tells us she feels “so lucky” to be back on the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel for the 13th year in a row. As we sit down for an exclusive chat with Alesha, fresh from the talent show’s first round of auditions in Blackpool, she says, “I’m on a bit of a comedown from them. It’s always an intense but amazing week, so today I’m resting up.”

It may only be one week into filming, but it’s already clear that the magic of the ITV talent show, which airs next February, is still shining bright. Alesha, 46, is confident she’s already seen plenty of rising stars in the mix.

“I think it’s proven that we never run out of talent. But every year you have, I don’t want to say nervousness, but you go into each season thinking, ‘Are we gonna be able to beat the talent that we had last time?’ Then it blows my mind, the number of incredible people who walk through the door and are not only super talented but do things that surprise you or show you things you’ve never seen before.

“There’s not a day where I don’t sit there on that panel and just think, ‘Wow, this is one of the best jobs in the world.’ I feel so lucky – I get to sit there, laugh and have fun. It brings so much joy.”

Alesha says the atmosphere at the Blackpool auditions has been fantastic. “There’s something about the audience the further north you go – they just get really loud, really crazy. They loved it and made us feel really welcome.

“We’re only a few auditions in and I’m already confident I’ve seen quite a few people who could win the show. And we’ve still got the London auditions in January, so there’s so much more talent to see.”

After working together for more than a decade, Alesha regards fellow judges Amanda Holden and BGT creator Simon Cowell as “family” and says they have a tight-knit bond.