Fans of Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon were left shocked when it was revealed she had split with her husband of 18 years, Azuka Onoye, last year. The 46-year-old BGT star, who returns to our screens tonight, shares two daughters with the 44-year-old dancer, who she once described as a “keeper”.
The couple first met in 2006, with Alesha admitting she played “hard to get for about a year” before giving it a try with Azuka. The couple secretly married in 2017 and had two children, Azura and Anaya, reports the Mirror.
However, the pair called it quits on their relationship last year, with pals of the couple stating they were ‘more like friends.’
A source revealed to The Sun: “Alesha’s been quietly telling people close to her that she believes their relationship is over and they’re going to separate. She and Azuka have been together almost two decades but their relationship has become more like a friendship.”
In 2017, Alesha introduced Azuka as her “lovely husband” during an appearance on Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Special, but neither confirmed if a wedding took place. Previously Alesha was married to So Solid Crew star, MC Harvey, who he cheated on her with Javine Hylton.
Alesha and Azuka first met in 2006, following her one year long marriage to Harvey, when Azuka first worked as a Mis-Teeq back-up dancer before being hired as the star’s creative director.
Recounting the early days on the Jonathan Ross Show in 2018, Alesha admitted she initially played “hard to get” but eventually realised Azuka was the one when she fell for him – quite literally – after recovering from a foot operation.
She shared: “He was sleeping on the floor because I was on the couch, I couldn’t even get up the stairs. If he can carry me to the toilet then he’s a keeper.”
“I had the foot operation and I couldn’t walk and he was literally sleeping on the floor looking after me every day. I was just looking at him thinking: ‘That is for better or for worse isn’t it?’ I looked a state.”
Alesha previously gushed over Azuka during a 2014 appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories expressing she could ‘authentically be herself’ when she was with him. She explained: “I don’t have to be anything other than who I am and it’s a great feeling when you can just be yourself with someone. And it’s like being with my best friend every day.”
Alesha opened up on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum podcast in 2020 about their family life, revealing: “[Azuka] was the first person that I’d met, that I knew that we could have children together because of our values, our morals, our thinking aligned.”
And further told HELLO! in 2022: “If you choose to have children, you are their first introduction to the world, I make a very conscious effort that my daughters have a very loving, supportive home with two parents who are great role models. I feel a sense of responsibility.”
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community hereand get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Alesha and Azuka have not publicly addressed their split, choosing to keep their personal lives private. However, they remain committed to co-parenting their two daughters and are reportedly focused on maintaining an amicable relationship for their children’s well-being.