Alesha Dixon has reportedly ended her 18-year relationship with Azuka Ononye.
The 46-year-old Britain’s Got Talent judge is said to have confided in friends that her romance with Azuka, father to their two daughters aged 11 and six, has fizzled out, leaving them feeling more like companions than lovers.
Despite not being spotted together since March, Alesha, who often referred to Azuka as her “husband”, appeared to be concealing her wedding hand in recent photos, although the couple never officially married.
An insider 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.”
The source added: “She and Azuka have been together almost two decades but their relationship has become more like a friendship.”
The former couple, who are committed to co-parenting their children harmoniously, have decided to prioritise maintaining an amicable partnership for the wellbeing of their young daughters, Azura Sienna and Anaya Safiya.
In a telling move, Alesha last posted an image with Azuka on her Instagram back in June, marking a significant gap since their last joint red carpet appearance together which came in July 2023. The pair originally met when Azuka worked as a dancer on Alesha’s tour in 2006.
The duo hit it off immediately, though Alesha initially kept Azuka at arm’s length for about a year. Their bond intensified when she suffered a broken foot and Azuka demonstrated his caring nature by sleeping on the floor to care for her.
“I was kind of playing hard to get for about a year,” Alesha said during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.
The star continued: “And then 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, 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.”
When asked if she would ever get down on one knee, Alesha admitted: “I wouldn’t rule out ever proposing to him. I’m not in a rush to get married but I would definitely be open-minded to it – why not? Unless he’s down on one knee with a ring then I’m not going to take him seriously.”
While it is reported that the pair tied the knot in 2017, the former couple never confirmed if this was true.