Alexandra Burke, who will tonight be lending her extraordinary vocals to the BBC’s Big Night of Musicals, has come a long way since her time on The X Factor, from facing harmful professional advice to finding love with fiancé Darren Randolph
Eighteen years have now passed since Alexandra Burke captivated judges with her powerful performance of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, and she’s still continuing to wow fans with her breathtaking vocals.
Having previously starred in hit shows such as The Bodyguard and Sister Act, the X Factor champion will this evening (March 28) be bringing a taste of the West End to living rooms across the UK, giving a preview of the brand new musical I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical on the BBC’s Big Night of Musicals by the National Lottery.
Taking to Instagram this week, Alexandra spoke with great anticipation about her new role, which will no doubt delight musical theatre lovers. She wrote: “From rehearsals to closing our Hackney Empire run… wow. It’s really happened. I originated a role, and I’m still pinching myself.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to fully explain how it feels playing Chaka Khan, but I do know I’m incredibly grateful to have been chosen by the legend herself and to be part of such a special cast and company. This show has been an emotional rollercoaster, but telling Chaka’s story has meant everything. A story that reminds us you can go through the fire and still rise
The singer has experienced a remarkable journey following her meteoric ascent to stardom, including supporting none other than Beyoncé herself on tour, earning multiple BRIT Award nominations, and embarking on a triumphant West End career. Now aged 37 and a mother of two, the Broken Heels star has also found considerable joy in her personal life, and is looking ahead to marriage with her footballer love, Darren Randolph.
Here, the Mirror explores Alexandra’s eventful life after X Factor, from appearances on programmes including Strictly Come Dancing and The Great Celebrity Bake Off, to anticipating married life ahead.
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Horror panic attacks
In 2013, the Bad Boys vocalist left her record label to focus on live performance and launched her West End career as a principal cast member in The Bodyguard, taking over the leading role from Beverley Knight. She subsequently starred in Sister Act The Musical in 2016, and the following year, she took part in Strictly, where she partnered with Gorka Marquez and progressed to the final.
However, her dedication to music continued, and she unveiled her third album, The Truth Is, in 2018. In 2021, Alexandra participated in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and became the sole female contestant to complete the punishing series. However, this proved to be an extremely challenging experience.
She subsequently revealed her difficulties readjusting to everyday life and sought professional help to manage panic attacks. In 2021, she told the Mirror: “I was crying all the time. If I saw an advert for the Army, I had a panic attack. That side of it was really awful. I did get therapy. I wasn’t sleeping well at all. I always thought there was somebody outside waiting to attack me. So I got a bit paranoid.”
Heartbreaking loss
Drawing strength from memories of her late mother, Soul II Soul singer Melissa Bell, who passed away in 2017, has proven crucial to Alexandra’s admirable perseverance. “All I could do was think of my mum because I was just like: ‘She’d be so immensely proud of me. She’d be so proud’.”
“To have gone through this, my family already thought I was nuts anyway,” Alexandra explained. “My father was like: ‘Why would you do this to yourself?’ And here I am, standing here ready to just tell my family that I’ve actually passed. I’m so overwhelmed. My goodness, it was probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my whole entire life.”
That same year, Alexandra disclosed in an interview that she narrowly missed out on stardom at just 12 years old when Stevie Wonder offered her a record deal – only for her mother to turn it down. Despite taking time to process the revelation, Alexandra fully supports her mum’s choice. Speaking to Mail Online, she explained: “My mum made the right decision. She always believed kids should be kids, to be able to go to school, be with your friends at the cinema and theme park. And not to ever take that from a child because you won’t get those years back.”
Shock bleach advice
In 2021, Alexandra appeared in Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s documentary, Race, Pop and Power, where she shared the shocking advice she once received to ‘bleach her skin’ if she wanted to make it in the music business. “I remember when my mum used to take me to certain management companies. I won’t name them now because they’re still friends and that’s good, and it’s all love,” she recalled. “But when I was 15, they told me and said: ‘We’ve got one black person, we can’t have another’. And I got that a couple of times.”
Becoming visibly emotional, Alexandra confessed: “They said, ‘You need to bleach your skin or you won’t sell any records’. That’s what’s so f**ked up about this industry. That’s what, at times makes me feel at times that I don’t want to be industry. It took my confidence away so much, at times, that I felt I couldn’t be me.” She also revealed that certain individuals had told her, “Because you’re Black, you need to work 10 times harder”.
Love life and family
Back in 2015, Alexandra tried her luck on Celebrity First Dates, though her evening with professional model Louis failed to spark a follow-up. Three years later, she became engaged to stage manager Joshua Ginnelly, but they called off their engagement after 12 months. She subsequently began dating Hull City footballer Angus Macdonald, supporting him through a two-year relationship during which he battled and overcame bowel cancer. The pair parted ways in 2020.
By 2021, Alexandra had found romance with footballer Darren Randolph, and the smitten pair went on to have two children together in 2022 and 2023. During an appearance on Loose Women in 2023, Alexandra became emotional while discussing why she’d opted to keep her baby’s name and gender private. She stressed that while she’d chosen a public career, her family hadn’t signed up for the attention, acknowledging the “hard” toll her celebrity status had taken on them.
“I come from X Factor, and I’m very grateful for the platform,” she said. “In the process of being who I am, the impact on them is hard.” Becoming visibly upset, Alexandra added: “They never asked for it, I asked for it… I want to protect the baby as much as I can.” She explained she’d allow her child to make their own decision about public life when older. Reflecting on becoming a mum, she shared: “I’ve never felt so content in my life, and I’ve never known love like this. It’s overwhelming, and I don’t know how to put it into words. I’m so happy.”
Also in 2023, the star set tongues wagging about a potential secret marriage to Darren after dubbing him ‘hubby’ on Instagram. However, she subsequently clarified they weren’t even engaged yet, explaining that ‘wifey’ and ‘hubby’ were simply their affectionate nicknames. “Let me be very clear about this… I called him ‘hubby’ because he calls me ‘wifey’ and those are just nicknames for each other,” she told Mail Online. “We need to remind him to put a ring on it… There’s no rush, when it’s meant to happen, it will happen.'”
However, the following year, the lovebirds confirmed that wedding bells were indeed ringing, with Darren having proposed after three years together. Breaking their thrilling news on Instagram in September 2024, the duo posted adoring photographs of the proposal moment, alongside a heartfelt video showcasing the romantic location where Darren dropped to one knee.
Captioning the footage, a delighted Alexandra gushed: “Here’s to us forever! I can’t believe I get to marry my best friend. Bring on the Burke-Randolph wedding. I can’t wait to call you my husband.”
Darren reportedly proposed to Alexandra at London’s luxurious five-star Rosewood hotel. An insider revealed to The Sun: “Alexandra had no idea this was coming and was on cloud nine. Darren had gone all out to plan the most special moment for her, and it was perfect. [..] They couldn’t be happier to start moving towards the next stage of their life together.”
Looking to the future, Alexandra has previously spoken about her aspirations to grow their young brood. During a July 2024 appearance on Loose Women, she revealed: “I returned to work two months after having both babies. I love to work. I want to make them proud. My mum did that with us. I’m so desperate for another baby. I would take more time off if I had a third. I don’t regret anything, but after that first few months, they’re basically off to college. So I get why people want more time.”
Back in July 2025, Alexandra joked that it was “time to actually start planning” in an Instagram post celebrating one year of being engaged. She told followers: “A year ago today, we got engaged and only recently had the chance to celebrate with some of our favourite people. Life has been full (and a little chaotic) with two babies in tow, but what a night! A night full of love, laughter, music, dancing, fireworks, and let’s be honest, sore feet (and a few sore heads). If the engagement party is anything to go by… the wedding is going to be unreal. Time to actually start planning!”
Showing love for her young family in an Instagram post shared early this year, complete with adorable snaps of her little ones, proud mum Alexandra penned: “Eternally thankful for the blessings that God has given me and for the incredible support around me. I truly couldn’t do this without my village.”
Big Night of Musicals airs this evening (March 28) from 7:45 pm on BBC One. Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads
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