LA FITNESS in Orpington is a nice place to hang around. The club in Sandy Lane has undergone a £2million refurbishment with a new pool and steam room, state-of-the-art equipment and a cracking cafe bar.

The reason I was loitering among the sweaty – and a good number of photographers, but not from the Sun or the Star because their names weren’t on the list - was to meet Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, who was opening the gym.

Alesha toured the gym, “one of the more advanced LA Fitnesses I’ve seen”, met competition winners and joined a fitness class poolside.

Then I got the chance to meet her.

Walking the gauntlet towards her room, a first press officer stopped me.

She very kindly asked me not to ask about Alesha’s personal life.

Ok, I thought, we can all understand the desire to not have a snotty journalist prying into her life.

A false alarm - Alesha still eating - I had to continue waiting.

A second press officer, a bit more forceful, came to get me next time. “Jeff,” she said. “Jeff, I want to make it really clear. No personal questions. You must not ask about the baby.”

This request – a little less polite than the first – was a bit more tricky.

For those not in the loop, a couple of weeks ago Alesha announced she was having a baby.

Again, I can understand a desire for privacy. I could sympathise.

A third representative got her claws into me next. She was Alesha’s executive assistant.

Her demands: no questions about her private life, no mention of the baby.

I was threatened that the interview would be terminated if the b-word cropped up.

That left somewhat of an elephant in the room. Not even being allowed to refer to her pregnancy impacts on questions about her plans to return to Britain’s Got Talent or to record new music.

Eventually I was shown in meet Alesha, who was relaxed and lovely in a makeshift office.

Her team stood a few feet away whispering conspiratorially, staring, and even taking menacing steps towards me when I mentioned the Cowell-Forsythe beef about children on BGT.

But Alesha was perfectly capable of batting me off - and quite nicely.

“I don’t even know what was said,” she said. “I don’t really get involved with that rubbish.”

Elsewhere, the chat was amicable. Alesha enjoyed BGT this year (“I didn’t think we could top the year before, but I think we did.”) and enjoys working with her fellow judges (“sometimes I think we get on too well”).

She was even happy to talk about the infamous egging scandal in the final.

She said: “Whenever you sign up to do a live show you have to expect the unexpected. We were all shocked. At the time I felt really angry. I just felt so sorry for the Johnson Brothers who were doing so well.

“I think Simon handled it brilliantly since most of the eggs were directed at him and in the end we all had a laugh about it.

“We wouldn’t allow something like that to cloud what was an amazing final.”

But, will she be back next year?

She said: “I hope so. Simon openly said he would have the panel back. I would like to go back so all being well that will happen.

“I’ve just started work on a new show called Your Face Sounds Familiar which is my first Saturday night hosting job with Paddy McGuinness and that has been a lot of fun.

“I’m also doing Alesha’s Street Dance Stars for BBC, so I’m juggling a lot but January will come around like that so fingers crossed we’ll all be back in business again.”

Yep, she’s juggling a lot.

What about plans for new music?

Alesha told me: “I haven’t got any affirmative dates yet but there is definitely talk of making another record. I would absolutely love to put another record out in 2014.

“I was supposed to do that this year but when the show started and Alesha’s Street Dance Stars  came in and now Your Face Sounds Familiar, so much has come in – I work with LA Fitness, I work with Avon, I work with lots of projects I’m juggling – unfortunately it gets put on the back burner.”

Ok, she’s not going to mention it. Awkward.

Time for the question everyone wants the answer to: with the popularity of shows like the Big Reunion, is there any chance she will put the noughties girl group Mis-Teeq back together?
Fans, I’m afraid you won’t like the answer.

She said: “I’m having dinner with Sue next week actually, but I would have to say no.

“But in Mis-Teeq, we have always said never say never because we get on really well, we had a great time in the band and you just never know where the wind might blow you.”