Alesha Dixon glad she was single when she did Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing winner Alesha Dixon was glad she was single when she did the reality show - because she could flirt without making a lover jealous.

The dance star was free to strut her stuff on the dancefloor without fear of repercussions, she said.

Runner Up Matt Di Angelo caused fury when rumours suggested a romance between him and dance partner Flavia Cacace.

Flavia's enraged boyfriend, also a dancer, attacked Di Angelo for allegedly stealing her from him.

But Alesha, who split from her two-timing husband at the end of 2006, said she didn't have to worry about upsetting anyone. She said: "I'm single so I didn't have that to worry about. I didn't have to worry about a boyfriend sitting at home getting jealous, I could go for it.

"Everybody likes a good flirt and a good dance so mix it together and it's genius."

Alesha remained tight-lipped about her co-star's rumoured romance, saying: "I don't know anything about Matt and Flavia, except she is an amazing dancer with fantastic abs."

The singer also spoke about how she managed to recover from learning that singer Javine Hylton was allegedly having an affair with her husband MC Harvey.

She said: "The thing is with me I'm always an optimist. Not at the initial time, obviously I was not in a good place but I'm quite good at healing quickly because I love life so much and I just want to do as much as I can.

"I appreciate my life and I don't want to spend my life being depressed. I believe in myself.

"I'm a good person and I have a passion for the things that I do and I'm always going to have that no matter what I do in my life I will always give it 110 per cent. I have a real zest for life and that's the only way I can explain it really, I would never just give up, ever."

But Alesha admitted appearing on Strictly Come Dancing helped her overcome her demons.

Speaking on TV show Richard and Judy, she said: "I felt like I was myself again, I really feel like it gave me a new lease of life. It really did just put a smile back on my face."