Alesha Dixon: 'When you take care of yourself, everything else falls into place'

Speaking to Alesha Dixon over Zoom for the best part of an hour is easily one of the most refreshing conversations I've had in quite a while. Her hair tied up and dressed casually in a tank top, she is not only stunning but wholly genuine and surprisingly hilarious.

Before we start the interview, she warns me: "Bear with me in case a baby wakes up or the door goes. Last week, my seven-year-old gatecrashed an interview, I was hiding upstairs, she found me, joined in and started answering questions about the different creams I use, 'Oh yes, you do like that Egyptian Magic one, don’t you mummy,' she told the journalist."

Lockdown was a whirlwind for many mothers, and Dixon can attest to that, too. Amid sleepless nights with one-year-old daughter Anaya, homeschooling her eldest Azura and running a '"full-time kitchen," she was, as ever, working. Though filming the 2021 season of Britain's Got Talent was cancelled due to the pandemic – Dixon has served as a judge on the show since 2012 – the 42-year-old was busy gearing up for the launch of her new wellness brand, NobleBlu.

A year in the making, her supplements range hones in on five key aspects of life; Balance, Beauty, Focus, Immunity and Energy. Using naturally sourced, premium high quality ingredients and optimised dosage of ingredients for better absorption by the body, the line puts simplicity and transparency first, and at its core, is all about finding your own happy balance.

The move is not surprising. Dixon has long been invested in health and wellness. "It's not something I've tried to get into, this has just always been an authentic part of my life, from when I first left school and wanted to be a sports teacher, to now, where I've consistently worked out and taken care of myself for many years. I have seen the huge benefits of it and recognise that I'm not as productive when I'm not lining up the wellness aspect of my life."

Like many of us, she developed more self-care habits in lockdown. This meant taking care of her natural curls, allowing her skin to breathe, soaking in a bath more than ever and putting her fitness to the test by working out four times a week, including couples Yoga on a Sunday.

"Working out was what kept me sane without a doubt. My mood literally changes after I workout whether it's the blood pumping around my body or the endorphins, it's like my little window to do one thing for myself in my day, and I loved it. It is the best self-care, as is fueling my body to support that, it's all well and good working out, but you need to put the right things into your body too."

For Dixon, wellness is a love affair with self-care, she says it's about putting yourself first and wellness at the forefront of everything, so that you can be as productive and as possible and as loving as you can be to those around you, because "when you take care of yourself, everything else falls into place."

And, it's far deeper than just the exercise classes you're doing or the supplements you're taking. "There's so much more to it, it really is a personal journey, it's about your mental wellbeing, your calmness, your spirituality, there is more to it than the superficial aspect."

It's the reason why Dixon is keen for NobleBlu to become a one-stop shop for wellness, a platform where people aren't only able to buy products (she plans to expand into sportswear, yoga mats, skincare as well as candles some day), but also be in the midst of a like-minded community who are all on a collective wellness journey, where tips and tricks, articles, recipes and advice from spiritual and fitness gurus can all be easily accessed. "I want it to feel like a space full of information at the forefront, while trying to help people live the best life they can for themselves, because the one thing we can all agree on is, the more we are connected to ourselves, the more we take care of ourselves, the more productive, nicer and focused we are."

While she certainly talks about health and fitness with an air of seriousness, Dixon explains that the journey to wellness (to which she believes there is no real destination) is personal to each of us, including herself. "'I'm not sitting here saying go teetotal, it's all about finding the right balance for you and for the most part I find that Monday to Friday I'm very very good, then at the weekend I just do what I want, and that works nicely for me."

Striking the balance is key for Dixon, it's a reason why the ethos is at the centre of her brand. Putting it simply, "if you're not having fun, you're not living a balanced life," she states. "The balance of life is hanging out with your friends, your partner, going on adventures and living life. We work hard and have responsibilities, of course, but you have to learn how to let go as well, compartmentalise and allow yourself the chance to switch off."

Her contagious work hard, play hard mentality, is entirely a balancing act, and she succeeds at it by taking care of herself, the people around her and not depriving herself of things, while also being fluid, and embracing the ebbs and the flows without resistance.

It's a lesson that was further imprinted on her by the pandemic. When I ask her how she managed to maintain the balance in lockdown, she says "with acceptance and gratitude".

"I genuinely think – I mean my other half might disagree, he's sat right here – I think it made me a little bit more patient, wouldn't you say babe?", to which her partner Azuka Ononye, 39, quickly responds with a hard yes. " I can get quite highly strung, my energy levels have always been high, so I had to really practice being calm and patient, lockdown really did force me to slow down and be more present in the now rather than being 90 miles an hour here, there and everywhere."

Rising to fame in the early noughties as a member of the R&B and garage trio Mis-Teeq, the singer says it was music and live DJ sets that saw her through the last year, naturally. Her relationship with Ononye, comes in at a close second.

"I have such a good relationship with my partner, we talk a lot, we sound things out, that was our safety net really, just having each other and the teamwork. I mean we didn't sleep in the same bed for two to three months because we had a rota system so whoever was doing the homeschooling would get the good night's sleep and the other would get up with the baby. We basically did that Monday to Friday for the whole of lockdown one."

But what role did she prefer? "Oh, the one where you get to sleep in!"

Alesha's best beauty buys

Black Rose Cream Mask, £119, Sisley: You’re supposed to remove this after 10-15 minutes but I leave it on – I treat it as my skin cream. It brightens my complexion straight away.

Sheer Hydration Broad Spectrum SPF40 (Versatile Tint), £37.50, AlumierMD: My facialist Katina recommended this. I never used to think about wearing SPF in the UK – she taught me otherwise.

Traceless Foundation Stick in Sienna, £66, Tom Ford: This is so creamy and doesn’t make your skin look matt. I’m all about making the complexion look like it’s got a little glow to it.

Keratin Smooth Mask, £6.10, Tresemmé: I use this three times a week. I leave it on for as long as possible, and it really does make my curls look amazing. It’s the marula oil – that’s what does the trick.

Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, £28, Elizabeth Arden: I’m so obsessed with this. I have one in every room. Mostly I use it as a lip balm, but also on cuticles, dry patches and even my baby hairs.

Beauty, £35 for 30, NobleBlu: I wanted to include a supplement in my range that strengthens nails and hair. When I had my daughters my hair fell out, so I really care about taking what I need to keep it thick.

Alesha's top tip

When someone has a great aura, a nice personality, a happy disposition and is kind, that’s what truly makes them beautiful.

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