Quotes from Alesha Dixon

I'm still friends with the girls I grew up with, and they're all on their second child. They're all like, 'Don't be in your 40s by the time you have kids,' and I'm like, 'Why not? There's nothing wrong with that.'

At home, my daughter Azura has got this long blonde wig that she loves, and she's obsessed with Rapunzel, but you need to have balance. It's important that she understands her curly hair is beautiful, too.

In terms of the culture, you can't beat Japan. It's my favourite country. It's one of those places you never want to leave. I love the people, I love the food, and I love their fashion because they're not afraid to experiment.

Growing up, I used to think I'd never get on a plane - I was terrified. But when I joined Mis-Teeq, being on a plane was my job. I used to scream on flights. Full-on screams.

The most important thing for me, when somebody asks me what I class as being a success, is being a decent human being.

I have different methods. Sometimes I just like to immerse myself in music; that's a really good way to switch off from the world. I also like to listen to Eckhart Tolle, a very wise, very spiritual man, who teaches us how to live in the present.

The older you are, the wiser you are. The more comfortable you are in your own skin, the more you know yourself, the more patient you are. I don't sweat the small stuff any more.

Maybe because I'm mixed race, I don't see the colour when I look at Meghan; I just see a beautiful, articulate, lovely woman who has stolen the heart of Harry, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness.

I do believe that men and women are different, and that should be celebrated, but at the same time, I think there's a lot of things girls can do, and do equally, as well. Whether it's fighting for equal pay or just to be treated with respect, it's something I think is really important.

If you have a positive frame of mind, you can manifest positive things in your life.

Sometimes in life, when bad things happen to us, or things aren't going our way, or we're faced with a challenge or a problem, it's how you look at the problem; it's how you do it to change your mindset, to dilute the negativity.

I'm a very deep thinker, and I find it very hard to switch off at night, so I usually have to put on an episode of 'Friends' or listen to some music before bed.

Even though I haven't released a song since 2010, I have still performed, so I don't feel I have been completely away from music. I have been away on a mainstream level, of course. But releasing a single this way - on my own independent record label - is more fun.

It's rare to see a person of colour in a lead role. It does matter to a lot of people.

What I've learnt is to be in the now. It's something my mum has always said to me, and when I read a book called 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle, I realised just how important it is.

I have definitely had times in my career where I have wondered whether I have had to work a bit harder, prove myself more, but I would never want to be in a position where I am saying, 'Oh, I did not get that job because of my race.'

I used to have seven dogs; now I have a more manageable four. I was in Cornwall, and one dog got swept away downstream, so my cousin dived in to get it, then her dog dived in. So I jumped in to rescue hers. Those dogs are my calm. That's how I cope with the business - I get the sanity on my woodland dog walks, being a tomboy.

There were very few British black women on TV or in music when I was a teenager; when you're growing up, you need someone you can identify with. I remember at Christmas being bought a doll that didn't look anything like me, so I threw it away.

I used to be cagey about my love life. I was cagey for four years. Az and I only decided to come out because we were pregnant. Otherwise, we would have kept it quiet. It really was a case of staying private. I am not one of those people who frivolously throws their private life out there.

'The Alesha Show' was done with production crew Xenomania, and this time, I've worked with a lot of upcoming new producers.

I guess when you're holding the creative reins, you can be across everything, and it's more authentic. You can control it.

I used to be really afraid and anxious of taking on too much, and the older I'm getting, the more fearless I'm becoming. Life is so much more relaxed when you're like that.

There still aren't many black women on prime-time TV. Times are changing, but it's interesting: we're in 2013 and still experiencing firsts... Hopefully, in the next 100 years, things will balance even more.

On a plane, you're in your own little bubble, so I try and enjoy it and don't get worried or frustrated about delays.