Singer and actress Alexandra Burke is clearly in a good place right now. She’s all smiles as she talks about her career, which she’s deeply passionate about, the whirlwind of raising two young children, and her “gorgeous” engagement to goalkeeper Darren Randolph.
Speaking to OK!, she reveals that she hopes to pass on her love for performing to her kids. Despite being together since 2021, she and Darren have chosen to keep their children away from the public eye, not sharing their names or genders publicly. Reflecting on her bustling family life, she admits, “It’s chaos at times, but you need to embrace the chaos. There are ups and downs and daily challenges, but it’s so rewarding.”
The 36 year old fondly remembers the advice her late mother, soul singer Melissa Bell, would always give her: “No dream is ever too big.” These are words she lives by and now passes onto her own children. So, would Alexandra be open to her kids following in her showbiz footsteps? “Whatever they do, I will be fully supportive of their decisions,” she assures. “One day they can watch Paw Patrol and want to be a police officer and the next day they watch Fireman Sam and want to be a firefighter. And that’s OK.”
She’s eager to expand her family when the time is right, expressing an undeniable yearning: “I desperately want more – I would have more tomorrow,” she admits with a giggle. “We’d love to, but right now we’re really enjoying our two babies. We’re really happy with how life has given us these blessings. The greatest achievement of my life is being a mum. Motherhood has changed me. I look at kids and just cry. Out of myself and Darren, I’m the one who gives in first with the kids, whereas Darren’s more stern. We’ve got a lovely balance.”
Juggling parenthood with busy careers is challenging, but Alexandra says it inspires her even more professionally.”Being a mum has made me want to work harder,” she reveals. “There’s so much more I’d love to do – especially in acting. I’ve got the bug for it now.” Having recently starred in her first television role in Paramount+’s Curfew, which sees men adhere to a curfew for women’s safety, the actress previously said: “I’ve got brothers, I’ve got my partner, I have a lot of nephews and, if that happened to them, I’d be devastated. Not every man is the same. It will open up discussion. It made me ask my partner, ‘How do women feel safe?”
She continued, “How can women go out at night, not have to worry about what they’re wearing, not have to hold a key in their hand, not have to keep looking over their shoulder, not have anxiety or panic attacks about leaving their homes? ‘ His answer was, ‘I don’t know.’ And that’s the point of the show.”
The singer, who has sold over five million records in the UK, admits that while her music career took a back seat during her pregnancies, it’s still very much on her agenda. “Music is still at the forefront of my mind,” she shares, teasing fans with news of a potential new album. She also dreams of hitting the stage in a big way, expressing her desire to be part of a certain Disney production: “And I would love to be a part of a production of The Princess And The Frog one day – I’d love to play Princess Tiana, the first ever Black Disney princess.”
On the personal front, life is exciting, Alex having recently got engaged to Darren, 37, a professional goalkeeper with an impressive career at clubs like Middlesbrough, West Ham, and Birmingham City. The couple, who have been together for three years, announced their engagement last month, with Alexandra still basking in the joy of the moment.
Darren pulled off a stunning proposal at London’s Rosewood Hotel, leaving Alexandra completely in the dark until the last second. “Darren planned it to perfection – it was beautiful and one of the biggest moments of my life. I’m so taken aback by how amazing this man is,” she enthuses. And Alexandra confesses she was utterly blindsided by the proposal. “I was so taken by surprise. I thought I could tell when someone was lying, but I’m clearly rubbish at it! We’re definitely in the engagement bubble. The bubble is gorgeous.”
Reflecting on her journey to stardom, Alexandra expressed gratitude for the platform that kick-started her career – The X Factor, which she won in 2008. Her powerful rendition of Hallelujah earned her the Christmas No1 spot and as part of her sensational victory, she even had a memorable duet with Beyoncé to the star’s hit song Listen.
However, her X Factor journey wasn’t without its hurdles. Alexandra has previously opened up about the racism she encountered after winning the show, revealing she was advised by an industry insider that to achieve success, she should bleach her skin. Despite this, Alexandra looks back at that period with pride. “That show gave me such an amazing platform,” she shares.
It wasn’t a smooth path to fame – she first auditioned at age 16 and didn’t make it, but her determination paid off when she returned a few years later. Since her victory, Alexandra has emerged as one of the show’s most successful winners. And, 16 years post her win, she is one of the country’s biggest musical theatre stars, with successful West End runs in The Bodyguard, Chicago and Sister Act The Musical. For Alexandra, the stage is more than a platform for entertainment; it’s a means to conquer life’s hurdles. She’s now sharing this passion with youngsters through free acting workshops at the Haliborange Theatre Of Dreams in central London.
The initiative, a collaboration between the vitamin brand and Disney, aims to spark creativity in children and promote healthy living. Haliborange’s study revealed that a whopping 95% of parents hope their kids maintain their creative spark and big dreams into adulthood. For Alexandra, witnessing The Lion King at 17 was pivotal. “As a woman of colour, I remember seeing representation on stage and I was so inspired by it,” she reflects.
Recalling her teenage uncertainty about her future career path, she acknowledges how the stage became her refuge – and a way of coping with tough times. “When I go on stage, it’s like an out-of-body experience,” Alexandra shares. “If I’ve ever had a not-so-great day and I’m performing later, I always tell myself there’s a light at the end of the tunnel because I’m going to perform and I’ll feel better after it.”
Alexandra Burke partners with Haliborange to assist with the acting workshops on 31 October and 1 November to help encourage children to dream big and get creative and curious at the Haliborange Theatre Of Dreams in central London. See haliborange.com for more information on the product. Grab your free tickets to the theatre workshops in Oxford Circus at eventbrite.co.uk. Limited tickets will also be available on the door.
