Who is Alexandra Burke? Strictly Come Dancing 2017 finalist and X Factor …

ALEXANDRA Burke knows what it’s like to win a reality TV series and now she also knows how it feels to come as a runner-up.

The 2008 X Factor winner was the favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing 2017 but wasn’t able to take the Glitterball trophy home. What else do we know about her?

Who is Alexandra Burke, how old is she and what is her background?

Alexandra Burke is a 28-year-old singer and actress, who shot to fame after winning The X Factor in 2008.

The pop star was born in Islington, London, and her mother was Melissa Bell, one member of the 90s R’n’B band Soul II Soul.

Sadly, Alexandra announced her mum had died aged 53, just hours after she made her Strictly debut at the official launch.

One of four children, Alexandra began dance classes from a young age and sang from five, before entering TV talent show Star For A Night at the age of 12 coming runner-up to a young Joss Stone.

After her GCSEs Alexandra left school to pursue a music industry career and started gigging and touring with the charity band Young Voices.

She auditioned for the 2005 series of The X Factor, which was won by Shayne Ward, but was ultimately deemed too young to get through to the live shows.

She went away for three years before returning for the fifth series in 2008 and wowing with her soulful voice.

After being mentored by Cheryl Cole she eventually won the show, beating boy band JLS.

Memorably, she performed with her idol Beyonce in the final, which no doubt helped her case with voters.

What has Alexandra done since X Factor?

After releasing hit singles Bad Boys, Broken Heels and Start Without You from her two albums, as well as acting as model and ambassador for huge brands, Alexandra’s fame peaked.

She quickly changed tack by taking acting classes, and after leaving her label in 2013, she turned her attention fully to stage performing.

The singer took huge roles in The Bodyguard and, last year, Sister Act The Musical.

Dan Wooller/REX

Is Alexandra single?

In 2012, Alexandra dated footie star Jermaine Defoe for a few months before she found out he’d cheated on her with a model Laura Brown.

She then went out with another footballer, goalie Dominique Jean-Zephirin, for a year.

Since then Alexandra has not had any high profile romances, but in 2015 she had a very public dalliance with a man called Louis on Channel 4’s First Dates.

The star took part in the Stand Up To Cancer charity edition of the show and then went on a second date with Louis, but nothing more seems to have come of it.

She is currently in a relationship with Josh Ginnelly – with the pair announcing their engagement in early 2018.

During the early stages of Strictly Come Dancing her dance partner Gorka Marquez was romantically linked to fellow contestant Gemma Atkinson.

When and where does the 2017 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special happen?

Strictly’s Christmas special has become a staple of Christmas Day BBC scheduling and will be shown at 6.30pm on BBC One.

However, the episode is recorded well in advance and this year it was filmed on November 29.

It is filmed in the same place as the normal series – at Elstree Studios, in Borehamwood, half an hour’s drive north of the centre of London.

The special involves a one-off festive competition – complete with silly costumes – in which stars from previous series are brought back to compete for a Christmas trophy.

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