About this episode

Alexandra Burke shares her journey through grief, motherhood, and her music career in a heartfelt conversation with Davina McCall.

What does it take to keep going when life keeps testing how badly you want the dream? In this episode of Begin Again, Alexandra Burke joins Davina for an emotional and deeply personal conversation about X Factor, grief, motherhood, love, faith and the determination that has carried her through every chapter of her life. Alexandra looks back on the extraordinary road to becoming a star: singing alongside her mum as a child, Stevie Wonder wanting to sign her at just 12 years old, being sent home from X Factor at 16, and the mother who eventually pushed her to go back and try again. She opens up about what was really happening in her life during that first rejection, why she now knows she wasn’t ready, and the remarkable full-circle journey that followed. She also speaks movingly about losing her mum, the grief she still carries and how becoming a mother herself has changed the way she understands the sacrifices her own mum made. Alexandra shares why she has fiercely protected her two boys, how she met her partner Darren after years of choosing the wrong relationships, and the moment she realised the family life she has now is everything she once prayed for. Now, playing Chaka Khan…

People in this episode

Host: Davina McCall

Guest: Alexandra Burke

Topics covered

• grief
• motherhood
• determination
• music career
• personal growth
• relationships

Keywords

• grief
• motherhood
• X Factor
• Chaka Khan
• personal growth
• music career
• determination
• relationships

More episodes of Begin Again with Davina McCall

• Begin Again Moments: What Makes a Successful Marriage? · September 6, 2026 · 9 min
• Gary Lineker: The Private Battles Behind a Public Life · September 3, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Begin Again Moments: The Secret to Confidence | Susie Moore & Eleanor Mills · August 30, 2026 · 11 min
• Patsy Kensit on Being a Child Star, 90’s Icon & Living With Grief · August 27, 2026 · 1h 21m
• Begin Again Moments: The Power of the Sun & Moon | Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock & Professor Brian Cox · August 24, 2026 · 13 min
• Natalie Imbruglia: I Got the Life I Dreamed Of... Then I Had to Start Over! · August 13, 2026 · 1h 12m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Begin Again with Davina McCall podcast page.