Alesha Dixon

British singer-songwriter, model, and dancer Alesha Dixon revived her pop music career after appearing as a winning contestant on the show "Strictly Come Dancing." Born to an English mother and Jamaican father, Dixon skipped out on her plans to teach physical education when a talent scout approached her, leading to the formation of Mis-Teeq, a trio that mixed R&B and electronica styles to score a hit with their debut single "Why?" in 2000. After subsequent hit albums and singles, the group disbanded in 2005 to pursue solo careers, leading to struggles for Alesha as she was signed and dropped by Polydor before her album, ''Fired Up'' was released. While reluctant to join a reality series for fear of it damaging her music career, she signed on for "Strictly Come Dancing" and won the season with her partner Matthew Cutler, the pair holding a strong lead from the early episodes. Her success on the popular show earned her the chance to return as a judge for future seasons and created a bidding war for her next album, ''The Alesha Show'', which produced numerous hit singles and registered platinum in the UK. As a model, spokesperson, and host, Dixon has appeared on many magazine covers, represented the Ford Focus in an ad campaign that played her music on instruments made of car parts, and has presented various British media award shows.