Alex in Wonderland

Alexandra Burke throws her head back and lets out a loud, throaty yelp, which sets the glass chandeliers tinkling. The biggest thing about her, apart from her Amy Winehouse-style hair for our shoot, is the enormous grin on her face. We're sitting in the grandest, most opulent house in London, and we've just told her she's one of our Fabulous Women of the Year. The word ecstatic doesn't quite cover it.

Alex starts to jump up and down. "Thank you, thank you!" she squeals. "It's been an unbelievable year. Huge ups, huge downs - but I wouldn't swap it for anything. I've got the fairy tale and I'm holding on to it by the throat. I'm not letting go for anyone or anything."

When it came to picking a female celeb who has made the most of '09, last year's X Factor winner topped the bill. In just 12 months, the 21 year old has scored the biggest reality single of all time (Hallelujah sold an amazing 576,000 copies in its first week), has befriended Beyoncé (she has her number in her BlackBerry, don't cha know), jetted to LA to record her debut album, and has been the grateful recipient of a mountain of designer clothes. Jealous, us?

"Kate Moss told me not to accept everything," she giggles. "But I haven't taken her advice. When it comes to freebies, I'm the girl who can't say no!"

But with the dizzying highs of fame have come the lows. There have been the bust-ups with her mother, Melissa Bell, 45, (who sang with the hit group, Soul II Soul) and then reports that her dad, David Burke, 51 (who walked out on her when she was six) had fathered 12 kids with seven women and got an under-age girl pregnant while Melissa was expecting Alex.

"It's been drama, drama, drama. A lot of things have been blown out of proportion," Alex explains. "Yes, me and my mum rowed. We've always had a very sparky relationship. We shout and scream, but we always make up and she remains the most important person in my life.

"I do come from the type of family that most people would say isn't normal, but to me there's no such thing as normal. I've had some pretty rough times, but this is why I'm not going to waste this opportunity. The British public put me here and I'm not going to let them down by blowing it because I can't handle things."

From the age of 12, Alex and her elder sister, Sheniece, now 23, helped raise their two brothers, David Jr, 22, and Aaron, 17, with their grandad Ivan because Melissa was away singing, earning money to support her family.

"At 12 I was like an adult," Alexandra says. "I'd take my brothers to school and me and Sheniece would do their homework with them. My grandad would cook but we'd do everything else.

"I now think Mum was amazing because she worked her bum off for us. It was hard on our birthdays when Mum wasn't with us. But she'd send us love and money and we just had to get on with it.

"I learnt from a young age that you just have to accept the cards you're dealt and try to make the best of it. I had a wild side, but I was sensible because I had to be."

She admits, however, that all sense went out of the window when it came to men.

"All week long, I'd go to school, look after my brothers then travel across London to singing and drama clubs. So, at the weekends, I'd go wild. Me and my sister would dress up to the nines and go out to Ministry Of Sound. I was 14 and you had to be 25 to get in. I thought it was so exciting and I was completely addicted to the atmosphere. My sister wouldn't let me drink and she'd never let men near me because I was so young. But I was always dying for romance."

Alex confesses she is a complete disaster zone with the opposite sex and has twice dated married men. "Honest to God, I never knew at the time," she says. "Both of them told me six months later they were going through divorces."

She shakes her head. Right now, despite rumours of romance with virtually every eligible bachelor in celebville - she's been linked to James Corden, 31, Peter Andre, 36, and Aston Merrygold, 21, from JLS - she remains resolutely single.

"Honey, I'm just not going there," she guffaws. "No men, no way. James and Aston are mates and I love Pete - but not in that way. I've given up men totally. I've been celibate for a year because I know what I'm like. I'm the worst chooser of men. I always go for older ones because I just can't help myself.

"I've had two major relationships in my life and both times I've been lied to and had my heart broken.

"I fell in love with a man and we got so close for six months, then he just disappeared. No phone calls - I couldn't get hold of him. I had no idea where he was. It went from 100 to nothing overnight and I was in pieces. He contacted me again a year later when I was on The X Factor - but by then I had the strength not to go near him."

She pauses: "It's hard because I love men. I'm a very sexy girl. I had to tone down my natural sexiness for The X Factor because I didn't want to look or act too hot and spoil everything because young kids and grandmas watch it. Since leaving the show I've released my inner sex bomb. I've put all that sexual energy into my career because I've got this one chance and I'm not blowing it on any guy. For now, I'm not looking, but when the right guy does finally come along, then God help him. I'll jump on him!"

In the flesh, Alex is stunning. Her eyes are sparkling despite just four hours' sleep (she was up until 2am chatting to a pal), her body - a natural size 10 - is to die for.

"Dressing up like this [she gestures towards her diamanté Gina heels and tight white corset] makes me feel so sexy. I feel like a princess doing this shoot," she says.

"I don't think I've got the perfect body because I've got a big bum and big thighs, but I think men like a bit of meat and all that nonsense of being super-skinny is so over.

"Give us girls a break - we're meant to have curves, not bones. When I shot my latest video I insisted on having girls in it who were plus-sized, mixed in with models. I wanted women of all sizes and all different colours because I don't want young girls watching my videos and thinking you have to look a certain way to be hot."

Islington-born Alex moved out of home at the age of 16 because her mum wanted her to go to college, but stubborn Alex was determined to make it as a singer.

"It was tough for my mum because she knew what the business was like. She'd had her moment of success but she'd also had the downside where she was struggling to make ends meet," Alex explains.

"We had a massive argument about it and I just upped and left. I moved in with the mother of a friend and just went round performing at weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings, talent shows. I earned just enough to keep myself in train fares, but I still wouldn't speak to my mum. After two years we got back in touch - time passed and we were both ready to talk.

"When I saw her for the first time I was shocked because she looked ill. I forced her to go to the doctors and they found out she had chronic kidney failure and diabetes. From that moment on, I didn't leave her. We still row, but we're so tight. She's unbelievably proud of me."

Signed to Syco, Simon Cowell's record company, Alex also has the strength to stand up to The X Factor judge.

"Simon says we have the maddest relationship - whatever he tells me to do, I do the opposite. He told me not to have a tattoo so I got three [including one on her foot and one on the back of her neck] and I'm planning two more," she laughs.

"He decided he wanted my new single, Broken Heels, shot in London with no dancers and no choreographers. I told him to put me on a plane to Los Angeles with dancers and choreographers!

"I'm not a diva, but I know how to stand up for myself and Simon loves it. He thinks I'm cheeky but he's one to talk. I'm very lucky to have him and Cheryl [Cole] still fighting my corner."

As for money ("What money?" she laughs), Alex has yet to see any of the profits from her record sales.

"I'm on a tight budget," she sighs. "I want to buy a house in the country next year because London is too expensive - and I want to buy a car, so I'm saving. That's why I didn't listen to Kate and I love my freebies so much. I even got a free Mini Cooper this year. How mental is that?

"But the best bit is singing. I've got my fairy tale. I'm going to work my bum off to give myself a very happy ending."

SO, ALEX, HAVE YOU EVER...

Got so drunk you can't remember the name of the guy you woke up next to? No, but I've been so drunk I had to ring up my friends and ask what happened the night before.

Had an inappropriate dream about someone you know? Oh my God, yes. I can't give any details but it was a pretty cool dream. And no, it wasn't Simon Cowell!

Gone commando on the red carpet? Big bums need big pants

Pretended to be a lesbian to put off a guy in a bar? Yes, actually I have - but it didn't put him off! In fact, it got him more excited. My advice? Don't try it.

• Alexandra's single Broken Heels is released on January 11. Her album Overcome is out now.

PHOTOGRAPHY: REX, ARCHANT HAIR: GUY KREMER USING L'OREAL PROFESSIONNEL TECNI.ART MAKE-UP: CAROLINE BARNES AT FRANK AGENCY STYLING: ANGIE SMITH (ANGIE SMITH.CO.UK) ALEXANDRA WEARS (TOP PICTURE): BLACK DRESS, RUTH TARVDAS; EARRINGS (JUST SEEN), ERICKSON BEAMON; SHOES, GINA; CORSET, WHAT KATIE DID (CUSTOMISED BY ANGIE SMITH); TIARA AND FEATHERS, TOPSHOP; SHOULDER PADS, ANGIE SMITH; NECKLACES AND CUFFS, FREEDOM AT TOPSHOP, RIVER ISLAND, DOWER & HALL; SHOES, ALDO (SECOND PICTURE): BUSTIER, PAUL & JOE; TIARA, TOPSHOP; EARRINGS AND BRACELET, ALDO; (BOTTOM PICTURE): DRESS, RUTH TARVADAS; TIARA, TOPSHOP; EARRINGS, RIVER ISLAND; BRACELET, ALDO PROPS (PREVIOUS PAGE): CANDELBRA, DEBENHAMS; CANDLES, IKEA

• ALEXANDRA BURKE'S MERCY DASH TO HAITI KIDS

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