TOTP: Are you a big bargain hunter?
Alesha: Yes I am. I'm definitely more of a high street chick than a designer one. I swear by Top Shop, I love Primark, I go to all of those, y'know. I love going to markets as well.

TOTP: What about the clothes stalls at boot fairs? Have you ever done those?
Alesha: Boot fairs...I don't think I've been to a boot fair before. I wouldn't say never though.

TOTP: And do you hunt in packs or shop solo?
Alesha: In packs! Ha ha ha! No, I like shopping with just one other person. I think when there's loads of people it becomes a bit manic when one wants to do that and one wants to do that... I mean, even when I was in the group and we'd go shopping, we'd all end up in different shops. So sometimes to just go with one other person is a calmer shopping experience.

TOTP: When Mis-Teeq went shopping for work clothes, did you have to agree on a synchronised colour before you left the house?
Alesha: Do you know what? Freakily, we would get ready sometimes and come downstairs co-ordinated without actually conversing on the phone. We became quite instinctive like that, it was freaky. And once, myself and Su-Elise came down to go to dinner - we were in Belgium - and we came downstairs wearing exactly the same thing. I had it recorded on camcorder, same jacket, same jeans and same boots. Freaked us out! It was so scary, but it happens when you spend so much time with another person that you do become slightly in sync. And your moods and your energies kind of all align, and that's what happened!

TOTP: So you developed psychic taste...
Alesha: Yeah, I think we did, actually!

TOTP: When you're in the shops, do you buy on impulse, or do you do comparisons between shops and then cross-reference the internet?
Alesha: [Immediately] IMPULSE! Do you remember Supermarket Sweep? I do that...

TOTP: What, like a trolley dash through the shop?
Alesha: [all in one breath] Ask any of my friends, I'm the quickest shopper. I haven't got time to be spending all day in a shop, so I just like to get in, and get out. And my eyes are very quick and sharp when I get into a shop, and I just scan the shop, going "yep-yep-yep-yep-yep-yep", take it all to the dressing room, try it all on, and if you get loads of stuff in the dressing room, you're bound to come out with something that works. That's the best way to do it.

TOTP: That sounds like a dream shopping experience for a bloke going shopping with his girlfriend. She goes in, she decides what she wants - or not - and you get it all over with quickly...
Alesha: [Old lady style repetition] ...quickly. No, I agree.

TOTP: Have you ever been shopping with a boyfriend?
Alesha: Harvey doesn't often like to come shopping with me, I'll be honest.

TOTP: That sounded like a really diplomatic way of putting it.
Alesha: Yeah, not his thing. Not his cup of tea. He likes shopping for himself though! He's actually quite good at shopping, I'll give him his dues. I'm an impatient shopper. I actually do think quite like a man when it comes to shopping, get in and get out.

TOTP: Would you have the patience for eBay then?
Alesha: Well, my cousin's just got into this online eBay thing, and she has actually got a couple of really nice tops from it. So it's something I would look at. I haven't done it as yet but I would be interested.

TOTP: So you wouldn't be tempted to sell, say, autographed Alesha merchandise for inflated prices?
Alesha: No. Fans do that anyway.

TOTP: Yeah, but you'd get the money...
Alesha: Yeah, but that's not fair to do that, is it? I prefer to give away things rather than accept money for it.

TOTP: Yes, but come on. Of all the people who've ever been famous ever, surely some of them are selling stuff now. Leo Sayer's signed tea towel or something...
Alesha: D'you reckon?

TOTP: They've GOT to be! How else are they making money?
Alesha: I don't know if it's just me being naive, but I would think 'well THAT'S not gonna sell', so I wouldn't even do it.

TOTP: That's weird though, cos surely you have to have a certain amount of ego to get into the pop star game in the first place?
Alesha: Do you?

TOTP: Surely you think you're good at what you do?
Alesha: Umm...I'm my worst critic, you see. I love what I do, but I'm the first person to put down what I do. I'm the first person to say "that was awful" or "that could've been better". I think that's because when I was growing up my dad was a perfectionist. If I came home with top marks in a class, he wouldn't say "well done", he'd say "oh, but you didn't get 100%", and I think the way he was with me has conditioned me that no matter what I do, I always feel I could do better. I never feel like I'm there. And the day you think you're there is the day that it's over, surely. You've always got to have somewhere to go, right?

TOTP: Presumably you've met a lot of famous people, and some of them must've come across as being a little bit deluded about how important they are in the general scheme of things...
Alesha: Yeah, that's why I don't really have any celebrity friends.

TOTP: Because most of them are like that?
Alesha: I'm just saying that it's a fickle business, and I prefer to remain friends with the people I've grown up with that know me better than anyone else. I even wrote a song about it on my album called 'Superficial'. And in the song I'm saying that this music industry is very fickle, however, once you get beneath all that rubbish, it's a beautiful job. Creating music and performing is, to me, a fantastic job. Once you get past all of your illusions about fame, you can really start to enjoy your job.

TOTP: So you're saying you wouldn't keep a box of promotional bits and bobs in your attic, just in case you fall on hard times?
Alesha: No! Anything I get I give to my mum, cos my mum looks after the fan club and stuff. So I just give away stuff to my mum to give to people. I'd feel really cheeky doing that.

TOTP: Well, OK, but I bet that...
Alesha: [Outraged] You think one day I would do that?

TOTP: Not you! You're not going to become un-famous at any point, Alesha. You're a talent powerhouse, this we know. I'm talking about all them other lot. The ones who are going to go down the dumper. McFly will have their own stall at the boot fair, you watch...
Alesha: [doing THAT laugh] Oh you're funny!

TOTP: What promotional thing would you most like to buy from another celebrity then?
Alesha: Erm...It would have to be something from Madonna. Maybe a Madonna yoga mat or something...

TOTP: Used? Genuine used signed Madonna sweaty yoga mat?
Alesha: [Giggling] Yeah! I'll go with that one.

TOTP: What's the most expensive thing you've ever paid full price for, without even thinking about haggling?
Alesha: Probably a Versace dress that was about £2,000. And I've never done it since.

TOTP: Was that your big pop star moment? The bit when you went "I'm FAMOUS, this is WHAT THEY DO..."?
Alesha: I had an event to go to and I had nothing to wear. I think me and Harvey were out and about and didn't have time to go home. I had to get an outfit very quickly, so we both went down to Versace and got an outfit. I must've bought that dress four years ago, and I've never done an impulse buy like it since, cos I had major regrets afterwards. And if I'd have bought it and been like "yeah! Excellent" and didn't regret it, then I'd have probably carried on spending that silly money on dresses. But I've got a conscience now, and I think twice. Like, you think of the amount of clothes you could get in Top Shop for £2,000!

TOTP: They'd probably give you the shop and somewhere to sleep and everything..."just keep trying on stuff!"...
Alesha: Exactly! But I had to buy that to learn from that...

TOTP: I think it's important that everyone who becomes famous has that moment where they go "I'm FAMOUS now, and famous people do THIS!"...whether it's drinking your own weight in champagne or buying a fast car. You have to do it, otherwise what's the point? So I say well done!
Alesha: Cheers mate!