Alesha Dixon's latest venture as she says she's 'so lucky' to return to BGT for 13th year

Alesha Dixon has told how she feels 'lucky' to be back on the Britain's Got Talent judging panel for the 13th year running, as the show kicked off filming for the latest series

Britain's Got Talent icon Alesha Dixon graced us with her glowing presence post-auditions, feeling "so lucky" to return as a judge. Moments after coming down from the high of initial auditions in Blackpool, Alesha shared exclusively how she revels in the intensity and excitement of the week: "I'm on a bit of a comedown from them. It's always an intense but amazing week, so today I'm resting up", she tells OK!.

With filming for the ITV hit just kicked off, Alesha, at 46, is already spotting future celebs among the acts. She candidly admitted, "I think it's proven that we never run out of talent. But every year you have, I don't want to say nervousness, but you go into each season thinking, 'Are we gonna be able to beat the talent that we had last time?"

And sure enough, she’s astounded again: "Then it blows my mind, the number of incredible people who walk through the door and are not only super talented but do things that surprise you or show you things you've never seen before. There's not a day where I don't sit there on that panel and just think, 'Wow, this is one of the best jobs in the world.' I feel so lucky – I get to sit there, laugh and have fun. It brings so much joy."

Alesha says the atmosphere at the Blackpool auditions has been electric. "There's something about the audience the further north you go – they just get really loud, really crazy. They loved it and made us feel really welcome. "We're only a few auditions in and I'm already confident I've seen quite a few people who could win the show.

And we've still got the London auditions in January, so there's so much more talent to see. "I think it's proven that we never run out of talent. But every year you have, I don't want to say nervousness, but you go into each season thinking, 'Are we gonna be able to beat the talent that we had last time? '"After working together for over a decade, Alesha considers fellow judges Amanda Holden and BGT creator Simon Cowell as "family" and says they have a strong bond, reports OK!.

"We're very close. Actually, I consider Simon and Amanda family now. Our children hang out together and we see each other outside of the show. Not as often as we'd like because everybody's busy, but we truly care about each other as friends. There's a genuine love and friendship there that has built over the years and I cherish that."

'"We're very, very lucky and I often feel that because it is a gamble with chemistry - you never know who you're going to click with. As somebody who has worked in the industry for a long time, I do know that sometimes you can appear on screen to be friendly with somebody, but that might not be the case behind the scenes. But with us, there is a genuine friendship between all the families and it's lovely. We call ourselves the BGT dysfunctional family! "

Last year, the panel welcomed the effervescent Bruno Tonioli, who has brought a new zest to the show. Alesha Dixon revealed that despite a "warning" from her, Simon Cowell, and Amanda Holden about using the golden buzzer too hastily, Bruno couldn't contain his excitement. "We had a funny conversation with Bruno in the judges' room before the first session because he gets really, really excited. We were like, 'You might not want to press your golden buzzer in the first four acts of the day. Why don't you take your time and, you know, just... feel it out.' He was like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah' and then literally pressed his golden buzzer on the fourth act."

Alesha finds his enthusiasm charming, adding, "That's what I love about him, he's just so authentic. In the moment he's like, 'When I feel it, I feel it and if I have to do it, I have to do it.' It was a very funny moment and in classic Bruno style, he just goes free. He's so passionate and I love it."

When she's not lighting up the stage, Alesha Dixon relishes moments with her hubby Azuka Ononye, and their kid s, Azura and Anaya. In a candid chat, she opened up: "I like to just hang out with my family on down days. I'll have a nice glass of red wine and watch a good show," before adding, "Or I like to dance and go out to party, it depends what mood I'm in. But generally, anything that involves music and the people I love most is what I do to take time for myself."

The beloved star also spoke about instilling big dreams in her kids, sharing insights into her parenting approach and how her upbringing influenced her: "I remember, growing up, my mum always told me to do whatever makes me happy and to follow my passions. My dad was very nervous about me stepping into the creative industries and would have preferred me to be an accountant or a lawyer - in his opinion, a more sensible job. I understand where that fear comes from, but I think this generation now, how we talk to our kids, is almost like, you can do anything."

She also stressed the importance of empowering her children: "When our children sit down and play a computer game, for example, we're the kind of parents who say, 'You know, you can create the computer games that you play,' and try to open their minds up to think outside the box. It's about telling your kids, 'You can be anything - you're capable of anything.'"

It’s this very passion that's propelled Alesha to team up with the T-team, a posse of celebs backing the hot new qualification option for youngsters, the T-levels. These are seen as a hands-on counterpart to A-levels, focusing on practical experience in creative sectors rather than traditional classroom learning. A big supporter of the media, broadcast and production T-level, Alesha shared her viewpoint, saying, "If I turned the clock back and went back to school and was considering my options, I think I would've loved something like this. I love the idea of coming out of the classroom and stepping into the real world. The best way to learn a job is by doing it."

Alesha’s zest for guiding youth towards a bright future is evident, as she aims to widen the pathways for them into the arts. She insists, "The main thing about this is giving people options because we're not all as academic as each other. Some people benefit more from being hands-on. Having a T-level in something like media means parents can be more comfortable with their children going into these creative careers and having a bona fide route to do it."

Alesha Dixon, who kick-started her career in the early 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Mis-Teeq and later became a solo artist, also won Strictly Come Dancing in 2007. When asked about any remaining TV ambitions, she said: "I actually think I've done them all," adding that she used to watch Strictly and say, 'That's the only one I want to do,' and she did.

However, she expressed interest in doing more shows in the US, recalling her experience on America's Got Talent with Simon Cowell as good fun. As for the secret behind her enduring success in both music and TV, Alesha shared: "I try to just be myself all the time," and added, "People say when they meet me, 'Oh, you're just the same as when I see you on TV.' I can't pretend to be something I'm not - so I hope I'm authentic. I try to just be real."