‘X Factor’ Winner Alexandra Burke to Star in London Palladium Pantomime
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Alexandra Burke, who won Season 5 of The X Factor UK in 2008, will be appearing in this year’s pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium. Burke will star opposite Dawn French in the production.
Alexandra Burke Cast in London Palladium Pantomime
In the UK, pantomimes, or pantos, are theater shows based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes, usually performed around Christmas. This year, the London Palladium will put on Jack and the Beanstalk from December 10 to January 15.
According to Deadline, Burke will be playing a villainess in the production, which also stars Dawn French and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, who won Season 10 of America’s Got Talent. This isn’t Burke’s first panto — last year, she appeared in Aladdin at the Opera House in Manchester.
“This year I’ve got Dawn as Jack’s mum and Alexandra as Mrs. Blunderbore, the giant’s wife,” said Michael Harrison of Crossroads Pantomimes. “She’s the villainess and she’ll be terrorizing Dawn.”
Harrison will write the panto with co-star Julian Clary and French. He shared that Burke’s take on Mrs. Blunderbore is inspired by Cruella de Vil, adding, “She’s up for being the baddie but she’s in it for the laughs and to sing some sings.”
SEE ALSO: ONLY TRUE FANS OF ‘THE X FACTOR’ REMEMBER WHICH CELEBRITIES JUDGED THE SERIES
What Has Burke Been Up to Since Winning ‘X Factor’?
After winning The X Factor in 2008, Burke released her winner’s single “Hallelujah.” It sold 105,000 copies in one day. Burke went on to release her debut album Overcome in 2009, which included the singles “Bad Boys” and “All Night Long.”
Burke later released the albums Heartbreak on Hold in 2012 and The Truth Is in 2018. The singer has also appeared in a number of stage productions, starting with the lead role in The Bodyguard on the West End in 2014. She also played Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2018.
Burke is currently expecting her first baby with soccer player Darren Randolph. They announced the pregnancy in February of this year, and the singer has been posting her baby bump on Instagram. Burke is due to give birth in June.
