<P> As a television presenter, Dixon has hosted Your Face Sounds Familiar (2013), Text Santa (2014--15) and Dance Dance Dance (2017--present). </P> <P> Alesha Anjanette Dixon was born in Welwyn Garden City to a Jamaican father, Melvin, and English mother, Beverly Harris . Dixon has six half - siblings . Maternally, she has two half - brothers, and on her father's side, she has three half - brothers and a half - sister . </P> <P> She was educated at Monk's Walk School, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire . Dixon's parents split up when Dixon was four and Dixon's father moved away, resulting in Dixon later describing her family life as "very dysfunctional". Between the ages of eight and ten, Dixon witnessed her mother suffer domestic violence from her partner; she only spoke publicly about the issue 21 years later, in 2010 . Dixon created a documentary for the BBC, Don't Hit My Mum, regarding the issue of domestic abuse from a child's perspective, and remarked upon her own childhood: "When I think about that time, I don't remember living in harmony, I don't remember any fun times, I suppose because the negativity has clouded it . The negative times and the scary times have blocked anything that was good...I believe that every child has the right to grow up in an environment where they feel secure and fearless going into the world, and I didn't really feel that". </P> <P> Dixon's first job was at Ladbrokes, although she aspired to become a PE teacher after leaving college . After completing a diploma course in sports studies, she had planned to take up a place at Loughborough University, but whilst at dance classes in London she was approached by a talent scout from a production company . Whilst travelling back home on the train she was approached by another scout who was forming a group and asked if she was interested . </P>

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