Alesha Dixon health: ‘It was quite crippling’ AGT judge’s condition explained

Alesha Dixon, 41, has joined the judging panel of America’s Got Talent: The Champions (AGT) this year having appeared on Britain’s Got Talent since 2012. The former Mis-Teeq member has made her mark in the world of showbiz, both in music and TV. But the star hasn’t has an easy route to stardom.

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Last year, Alesha revealed she suffered from imposter syndrome – a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.

She revealed to Mail Online: “A lot of people, even if they’ve not heard of imposter syndrome, go, ‘Oh yes, I can identify with that’.”

Research commissioned by beauty brand TRESemme found 88 percent of women have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their life.

Alesha added: “I think it shows that we’re all in this boat together.

“Actually if you talk about it and share it, you realise, we can make sense of it, I’m not a freak, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

Alesha said when she started out in the music business, self-doubt was a big problem.

She said: “It was quite crippling, it was something that really did hold me back, massively.

“Picking up the phone made me feel so scared and nervous to the extent that sometimes I didn’t do it.

“It could be anything, just picking up the phone to book a dance class.

“Something so simple to someone else I could build up as something huge, and my fear, or self-doubt, would stop me doing it.”

Alesha overcame her self-doubt in the early says by allowing herself to feel the fear, before taking a deep breath and consciously overriding it.

She said: “Even though I was petrified of most things, I would still throw myself into it. And I think that’s where the confidence came from.

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“It’s about learning to silence that niggling little voice in your own head.

“My confidence didn’t come overnight. It was something that I had to grow into.

“The difference now is that when I was younger, I was afraid to fail and put huge pressure on myself. I don’t now see failure as a bad thing or a hindrance; I look at it as a learning opportunity.”

What exactly is imposter syndrome?

Dr Mark Winwood, director of psychological services at AXA PPP healthcare, offers a clear explanation of the fairly new phenomenon.

He said: “Imposter Syndrome is a widespread but little-known phenomenon so understanding how to overcome fraudulent feelings and nurture a more confident self – and team – will go a long way towards bolstering confidence and performance.”

To overcome feelings of imposter syndrome, Dr Winwood encourages people to be TRUE – talk, remind, use and evaluate.

T – talk to a supportive friend colleague or family member – don’t keep your fears to yourself.

R – remind yourself of your successes, document them and be inspired by your achievements.

U – use evidence to despite and diffuse your inner bully.

E – evaluate how you’ve overcome imposter comments and share your learnings with others.

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