Melissa Bell

Who is Melissa Bell?

Melissa Cecelia Ewen Bell is the former lead singer of Grammy winning R&B act Soul II Soul, and currently fronts the group Soul Explosion, which started in 1999. She has also worked with Liza Minnelli, Whitney Houston, and Stevie Wonder. Bell is the mother of singer Alexandra Burke; her other children are Sheneice, David, and Aaron. Her late father, Ivan, was of Afro-Jamaican descent and her mother was of Dougla descent.

Bell suffers from kidney failure, and struggled to attend her daughter's live performances during her time on The X Factor. In 2008, she came under investigation following claims of benefit fraud, which she denied. In September 2009, Burke accused her mother of jealousy following her success on The X Factor. Bell fought back, stating: "What type of mum is jealous of her daughter? She doesn't have millions but when she does she'll look after me. If she gets the best then I get the best and getting my life-saving treatment - that's my priority".