Alexandra Burke releases a new version of Silent Night featuring her late mum Melissa Bell

Alexandra Burke has revealed she’s dropped a new version of Silent Night featuring her late mother Melissa Bell.

During Wednesday’s edition of The One Show, the musician, 32, reflected on recording the rendition with the Soul II Soul star seven years ago, which she decided to release ‘at the last-minute’.

The singer admitted she hopes her parent would be ‘proud’ of her latest track, three years after she died at the age of just 53 following a long battle with kidney failure.

Speaking to hosts Ronan Keating and Alex Jones, the X Factor star said: ‘Silent Night features my late mother. My mum was on the track which we recorded in 2013, so the single you’re hearing isn’t reworked, only with the production.’

The media personality insisted she kept changes to a minimum in order to ‘keep the feeling’ of her mum’s presence.

Broken Heels hitmaker Alexandra said: ‘I didn’t want to lose the feeling of it and it was so random. 

‘We were writing a song together at a studio at home and she asked me, ”why don’t you just sing Silent Night?” My mum and my friend JP came together with the production of it all and it was a magical moment in one-take. 

‘All the funds will go to my mum’s foundation – The Melissa Bell Foundation which we help underprivileged kids go Sylvia Young theatre school.’

Recalling the Wish star’s hard work ethic, the Strictly star added: ‘She was the last leading lady. I remember watching her on Top of The Pops when she was very heavily pregnant with my little brother. 

‘My mum was amazing and I really hope she’d be proud of this moment as this was very last-minute. I’m just really pleased we’ve done this.’ 

The actress, who recently split from footballer Angus MacDonald after 15 months of dating, previously said she suffered from a panic attack when she was unable to visit her mother’s grave during lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking to Vas J Morgan for the I AM ENOUGH chat, the Islington native explained she was left shaken when she realised cemeteries were closed as they have been deemed ‘non-essential.’ 

The Bodyguard star shared: ‘Two days ago I thought to myself I’m going to go and give my mum some flowers, so I drove down to the grave and it was closed.

‘Major anxiety, big old panic attack in the car because I thought “how can you stop me from seeing my own mum?” and many people go through that, I didn’t know that’s not that wasn’t essential.

‘I can understand that they’re cancelling people’s weddings etc but I didn’t realise that’s non-essential, and my auntie explained to me “girl these people can’t be around others too, you can’t expect them to be open.”

‘This is a way to stop people from getting out and being busy and i totally [understand that] but I didn’t get it at the time. 

‘I had to have my auntie explain it to me and I thought “okay I get it”, and I felt awful, but I was so taken aback that we couldn’t do things we wanted to do anymore, and that’s doing lovely things like laying flowers for someone, and seeing your friends.

‘You take those things for granted and you can’t do that now, and that caused me major anxiety.’

Chart-topper Melissa died in August 2017 following her nine-year battle with kidney failure, which was brought on by diabetes.