Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, songwriter, dancer, author, model and television personality. Dixon rose to fame in 2001 as a member of the all-female R&B/garage/rap trio Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded in 2005 and Dixon pursued a music career as a solo artist, signing a recording contract to Polydor Records. She began recording her debut solo studio album, Fired Up, in 2005, releasing her debut single, "Lipstick" and "Knockdown", she was dropped from Polydor. Retaining the rights to her album she released Fired Up in Japan with Lipstick going to number 1.
In 2007, Dixon won Strictly Come Dancing. Her television exposure led to a successful comeback, which included her signing to Asylum Records, an offshoot of Warner Music Group. Dixon then released a second album, entitled The Alesha Show, in 2008, which received platinum certification from BPI in the UK and spawned four singles including "The Boy Does Nothing" and "Breathe Slow", the latter of which became her highest charting single and earned her a Brit Award nomination.