In tune: Alexandra Burke unplugged

London's taught me to be myself:

"I used to talk to people on the street. They thought I was mad. I remember once on the bus, I said hello to a man and he went: ‘Can you just be quiet?' I was only trying to cheer people up.

"Growing up, all I knew was the Caledonian Road in north London. But after I won X Factor living there was difficult because of the kids. I remember once as I was driving in the gate they were trying to open the boot of my car, and then they started throwing stones. A week later I was gone.

My mum said: ‘You really should move somewhere greener', so I moved to Hertfordshire and I live in an area with a lot of old people so no one knows who I am. You just talk about your dogs. "

I've always been independent:

"I was earning from the age of 12. If I earned pocket money from singing in bars and someone gave me a tenner, I'd split it with my mum. I left home at 16, so I know how to look after myself. My sister calls me the girl that never needs a man. She says: ‘You may as well just marry yourself...'"

I hate being alone:

"That's a different ball game. The other week I went away on holiday for five days to Morocco, and it's the first time I've been away by myself. I cried on the plane. But I went to the souk, I ate every night alone, and I thought: ‘I can do this.' I was writing in my diary, I was reflecting on life, I was giving thanks, I was reading for once... It's cool, I'm growing."

My main objective for life is to look after my family:

"I could waste money on clothes and clubs, or I can invest and set up a foundation. I prefer that route."

I'm very spiritual:

"I make sure I get up every morning and give thanks and before I go to bed I say a prayer. I won't get on stage and perform unless we've prayed. It makes such a difference."

Music is my drug:

"I'm itching when I'm not working. I hate it. You should have seen me last year, when they told me I had a weekend off from recording my album. To do what, exactly? My manager says I'm going to work myself into my grave. It took me a long time to learn some balance."

I'm obsessed with life:

"I love birthdays. It's giving thanks that you've lived another year! This year I celebrated my birthday for a month. You can't say: ‘It's just another year.' There are babies that only live a week. We should be grateful.

"The two things we take for granted in the UK are health care and education. I want my charity to focus on the two things I got for free. I'm opening a school in Haiti and I'm trying to set up a foundation for kids. That's my biggest goal."

I'm taking acting lessons next year:

"And I'm going to teach myself to play the guitar. Who knows if I'll manage it. YouTube has good teach-yourself videos."

No one ever makes a decision for me:

"I have Simon [Cowell] and my label overseeing everything, but we make decisions together, and it's great. I don't really have a mentor any more: Cheryl Cole's more of a friend now."