Alexandra Burke has admitted to struggling with negativity surrounding her time on Strictly Come Dancing, and has dismissed behind-the-scenes diva behavior and feud rumours.
The 29-year-old singer told The Daily Telegraph: "It got to a point where I can't take any more mentally."
She said that her late mother Melissa Bell, who died in August, had instilled within her a professional manner, so she has not revealed her nerves on the dancefloor unlike some of the other stars.
She said: "I have this professional face, one that I've been taught since the age of five that, when the cameras are on, you smile and you be gracious.
"My mum always said to me, 'You're as good as your last performance, so you bloody perform'," adding that viewers would "never know that I was shaking back in the wings, knees knocking, sweaty palms".
She also admitted that the negative comments about her "got to a point where it felt like a personal attack".
Burke, who is dancing in her mother's memory on the series, added: "I'm not going to lie: I'm so angry that she's gone. Two months later, I can't understand it - why she's 53 and gone."
