British singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon is very aware of the negative effects that cellphone use can have on developing minds.
During a recent interview with Women’s Health published on Feb. 11, the “Britain’s Got Talent” judge revealed she is working to limit her children’s screen time at home.
“As long as we can avoid our daughters having phones, we’re going try our hardest,” the 46-year-old performer told the magazine.
Dixon shares two daughters—Azura, 11, and Anaya, 5—with 44-year-old British-born Nigerian dancer Azuka Ononye.
Despite her eldest daughter’s request for a phone, the singer told the publication that she stands firm in her decision.
“You’ve got to be strong with it. My thing is this, if she doesn’t need a phone then why is she having one? If I can delay her being in that world, I’m going to work super hard to make sure that it doesn’t happen,” Dixon explained.
“I don’t care if her friends have got phones. In our house, we don’t want that.”
The topic was explored in the Channel 4 documentary “Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones,” hosted by British singer Matt Willis and his wife, television personality Emma Willis.
The two-part docuseries, which debuted in December 2024, chronicled a groundbreaking social experiment conducted at The Stanway School, a secondary school in Colchester, England.
Psychologists from the University of York in England studied the impacts of prolonged smartphone use among students between the ages of 12 and 13, who were challenged to give up their electronic devices for 21 days.
Speaking to Women’s Health, Dixon acknowledged that some parents allow their children to have phones for safety reasons.
“For those parents that have children that take the bus [to and from school] then I get it, it’s a different story, but we’re very fortunate that our children go to a school where they have to be dropped off as they can’t walk to school,” she explained.
“So, we’re like, ‘Well, you don’t need a phone because we’re with you all the time and we always know where you are. If you’re not at school, you’re with us so you’re fine.’”
Dixon rose to prominence in the early aughts as a member of the R&B girl group Mis-Teeq.
The singer went on to pursue a solo career after the group’s disbandment in 2005, releasing her debut solo album, “Fired Up,” the following year.
Subsequent albums include “The Alesha Show” (2008), “The Entertainer” (2010), and “Do It for Love” (2015).
After winning the fifth season of “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2007, Dixon joined the judges panel of the reality dance competition series for three seasons. In 2012, she became the judge on the ITV series “Britain’s Got Talent,” working alongside the show’s creator, Simon Cowell.
Dixon has also served as a judge on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions,” “Walk the Line,” and “Australia’s Got Talent.”
In addition to her work on the stage, the singer is a bestselling author. She published her first novel, “Lighting Girl,” in 2018 and has since released more than a handful of other children’s books, including “Superpower Showdown” (2019), “Star Switch” (2020), and “Girls Rule” (2021).
Despite her success in the entertainment industry, Dixon is hesitant to allow her daughters to follow in her footsteps.
“Until the day I feel like she’s emotionally intelligent enough to handle anything that comes with the industry, the answer will be no, you will not do that,” Dixon told the publication.
“I can’t control what other people’s perceptions are. My feeling on it is that I can be a mother, make music, work on television, be a businesswoman,” the singer added.
“I can write the rules for myself.”
