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First Cape "would work" with shamed Strictly Come Dancing star next year

Published:  15 December, 2011

Brand Phoenix has denied that BBC Strictly Come Dancing star, Alesha Dixon, has been dropped as the face of its First Cape Café Collection lower alcohol wine brand following an appearance on a TV chat show where she was seen drinking wine out of a bottle.

Instead the company insist it only had a short term contract with Dixon and was now reviewing its options for next year. Brand Phoenix director, Steve Barton, told Harpers:"We have no issues with Alesha and would like to continue to work with her next year."

The confusion arose after Dixon appeared on comedian Alan Carr's Channel 4 show, Chatty Man, where she appeared to have been drinking and admitted later on her Twitter account to have been "pickled".

The Strictly Come Dancing judge first came on board with First Cape in August to promote the low alcohol brand's Queen of Chat campaign, which saw a chat lover win £2,000 plus a years supply of Café Collection.

She made her last promotional appearance for First Cape on November 30 at a special event marking the wine brand's commitment to remove 50 million units from its wine in the next three years.

In a statement First Cape said it had been "very pleased with her work for the brand to date" and played down the Alan Carr appearance.

It said: "Alesha's appearance on Alan Carr's Chatty Man was not organised by FirstCape Café Collection and was not a publicity stunt. We understand that Alesha was entering into the spirit of the programme but has apologised for her uncharacteristic behaviour."

She will continue to work with First Cape until the end of 2011 when her current contract expires.

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