Which all-singing all-dancing TV star will switch on Preston's Christmas lights this year?

The Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent star will be part of a mammoth festive season in the city starting on November 14 with the light switch-on followed by a five-week long Lancashire Market Christmas Festival.

Alesha is a mainstay of Saturday night TV following her winning then becoming a judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing before moving over to ITV alongside Simon Cowell to take a judges’ seat on Britain’s Got Talent. She originally came into the public eye in pop band Mis-teeq before going it alone. She’s racked up an impressive seven top-ten singles and released two platinum-selling albums. Her new album ‘Do It For Love’ is set for imminent release.

The switch on event, which is funded by Preston City Centre's Business Improvement District (BID) and organised in partnership with Rock FM, will for the first time in history, take place on Fishergate and feature a packed line-up from 5.30pm. Alesha was secured at no cost to BID.

The switch on follows a major £50,000 investment by BID into the Christmas lighting scheme as the organisation, run by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, looks to make Preston shine once again at this important time of year.The lights switch on will be followed almost immediately by the launch of the hugely popular Lancashire Market Christmas Festival which will take over the Flag Market from November 19 to January 3. The market will feature an array of festive produce, a traditional alpine bar, a real ice-rink and animated attractions for the family in partnership with the city council and international market specialist S&D Leisure.

Preston BID has also coordinated a complimentary parking offer for Christmas from the Fishergate Centre, St. George’s Shopping Centre, Lancashire County Council and Preston City Council, full details of which will be released in the coming weeks.