Why Alexandra Burke prioritises her wellbeing: ‘My mum died so young – you’re nothing without your health’
The singer speaks to Sara Keenan about all things health and fitness – and encouraging her kids to focus on their wellbeing.
After losing her mother at a young age, singer and actress Alexandra Burke made health and fitness a major priority in her life.
“I have always been into working out,” 38-year-old Burke says.
The singer rose to prominence after winning The X Factor in 2008, with her debut single, Hallelujah, becoming the UK’s top-selling single of that year. She has since enjoyed a successful music and theatre career, starring in productions including The Bodyguard, Sister Act and, more recently, as Chaka Khan in I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical.
However, it was her mother Melissa Bell’s illness almost a decade ago that encouraged Burke to take her fitness even more seriously. Bell was diagnosed with kidney failure while Burke was competing on The X Factor and passed away in 2017.
“My mum died so young – she was only 53 and it’s just too young to leave this earth.
“That was a big massive change for me because I don’t want to go through what my mum went through,” she says.
“I wanted to get to work and get to a really fit point in life before having children. I knew 10 years ago that I might meet someone and we may have kids and I wanted to be fit for that, so I got myself into great shape.”
The singer now lives in Hertfordshire with her partner, former footballer Darren Randolph, and their two young sons, aged four and three.
During the pandemic, exercise became an important outlet for Burke, both physically and mentally.
“Running and working out was the only thing to do to keep sane in a way.
“It really stepped up several years ago when I gave birth to my second child because I got quite sick in that pregnancy through really high stress.”
Since then, Burke has taken on the challenge of marathon running and is preparing to begin training for her third marathon next year in London.
“The love I have for fitness is next level,” she admits. “My friends say to me if I wasn’t a singer, I’d 100% be an athlete.”
Despite her demanding schedule, Burke continues to make exercise a priority.
“The gym is my biggest therapy and it’s the place where I can just escape. My partner is the only call I will take in the gym – I tend to not be disturbed in there because that’s the only time I really get in my day.”
“The one thing I make sure that we do as a family is we go on long walks in the forest,” says Burke, who has six dogs.
“It’s a chaotic life but I always say it’s a house full of love because it is mental. If I had the space, I’d have more dogs and I’d have more children – if I had the mental capabilities of doing it – but I feel like I need a bit more time.”
Alongside her passion for fitness, Burke is also determined to raise awareness about the importance of looking after your health.
The singer, who is working with Tombola and Breast Cancer Now to make breast-checking a normal part of friendship conversations and rituals, lost her aunt to breast cancer in 2009 and believes conversations around the disease should extend beyond October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“It’s great that there’s a big rise in the conversation right now – but it needs to be something that isn’t a taboo subject for people to ask their friends when the last time they checked their breasts was. It’s super-important,” she says.
“It doesn’t actually matter what age you are – cancer doesn’t discriminate. You’ve just got to be aware, and men can be a part of this conversation as well.”
For Burke, the issue is particularly personal after she discovered a lump in her breast in her early 20s but initially held off telling anyone because she was frightened.
“About a week went by and it was causing me anxiety so I had to talk to my mum about it,” she says.
“Thankfully, she made me go private that morning, they did a biopsy and it was absolutely fine.”
“It made me realise that we can’t take these little things for granted. These moments in life where you think the lump will just go away. Early diagnosis in any sense of cancer is the best diagnosis to catch something early.”
When it comes to having open conversations about health, Burke says she is fortunate to have a close-knit circle of friends and family, including her sister, who she can turn to for support.
“I have so many girlfriends that I can call upon at any time of day or night and that’s a really lucky position to be in at 38 years old,” she says.
“You have to remember, you are nothing without your health. If you don’t take care of yourself, who’s going to do it for you?” she says.
“It shouldn’t make anybody feel ashamed that a friend has been caring enough to ask about their health and wellbeing. That is such a beautiful thing to have a friend that thinks of you, wants the best for you and that checks in on you.”
Despite her commitment to health and fitness, Burke admits that finding time for herself can be challenging while juggling motherhood and a busy career.
“My sons are 14 months apart and after giving birth to both of them – literally two months after, I went straight back to work.
“It worked for me at the time – I had to work. As a self-employed woman, it is what it is,” she admits.
“I want to show my kids when they’re older and can be of a certain age to understand that juggling life is hard – it throws you stuff and you’ve got to deal with it.
“But nothing in life beats working hard for what you’ve got in life – I get that from my mum. I would be lying if I said it was all rosy and absolutely fine, but I’m very lucky and blessed.”
As her children grow older, Burke is keen to pass on the importance of looking after both their physical and mental wellbeing.
She says her sons already show an interest in exercise and often ask to work out alongside her. However, beyond keeping them active, Burke also wants to help build their confidence from a young age.
“It’s also at the point of making sure when we go out on walks, we always have our sons say affirmations to themselves like: I am strong, I am powerful, I am loved.
“Now it’s starting to roll off the tongue. I just hope they understand that health is so important, and I’m going to really make sure I encourage that conversation the older they get, so that they can take care of themselves.
“I really want to encourage my children and friends to focus on what is right – you’re nothing without your health.”
For guidance on how to check your breasts and understand what’s normal for you, visit tombola.co.uk/breast-cancer-now