Leafy Bearsden might not be the first place you'd imagine the right-hand man of a pop princess and TV star would live.

But from his home near Glasgow, Malcolm Blair has helped multi-talented Alesha Dixon become one of the UK's biggest stars.

Malcolm, 51, became Alesha's manager in 2007, but first worked with her when she was in pop band Mis-teeq a decade ago.

Now he handles everything, from signing her latest Strictly Come Dancing deal – he confirmed she'll be a judge in the next series – to accompanying her to the US this summer to try to break into the charts there.

Malcolm said: "We're a team. I look after the business side of things and Alesha looks after the creative side.

"It works well. It's like a second marriage."

Music runs in Malcolm's family.

His dad, the late Jimmy Blair ran a music school in Berkeley Street, Charing Cross, and even had his own traditional Scottish music show on STV in the 1960s, Jig Time.

Malcolm started learning the accordion when he was just five and the drums when he was 14. He went on to record a single with pub rock group, The Chicanes but they split after the record company went bust before it was released.

After leaving Jordanhill High School, Malcolm worked in construction in Saudi Arabia for a few years before returning to Glasgow and his true vocation – music.

He set up a company called Band Wagon hiring luxury mini buses to bands, and later became a driver for all the big names when they came to Scotland, from Prince to U2.

That led to him becoming tour manager for acts including Iggy Pop, Marianne Faithfull, Kelis, Wet Wet Wet, Katherine Jenkins, Don McLean and Glasgow group Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. He also had spells as manager of The Waterboys and production manager for James Blunt.

Malcolm was touring the world constantly, travelling as far afield as Japan, where he has been 15 times.

Then, in 2001 he started working with a new urban girl band where Alesha started her career.

Malcolm said: "The record company asked if I would do a promotional tour of Europe with Mis-teeq.

"That's how I met Alesha. We just clicked right away. She was young, about 22. She was full of energy so if we were somewhere like Paris we'd go to see the Eiffel Tower. We'd eat together or go to the movies.

"I realised right from the start Alesha was the star."

However, after five years Mis-Teeq split, and Malcolm also changed direction.

Promoter Regular Music asked him to help turn old Sauchiehall Street cinema Regal into gig hotspot ABC. Once it opened he became general manager but, after eight months, he wanted a change.

He'd kept in touch with Alesha, 32, and ended up meeting her in London in 2007 while she was at a crossroads in her life.

Malcolm said: "She had just been dropped by her record label, sacked her manager, her publishing deal had expired and she'd had a divorce.

"She said 'I've been offered the chance to go on to Strictly Come Dancing, what do you think? I said 'I think you should do it."

Malcolm officially became her manager while she was on the show, which she went on to win as the highest scoring contestant ever.

She was back in demand and, with Malcolm's help, landed a new record deal. Her biggest hit single The Boy Does Nothing then went on to sell 900,000 copies worldwide.

Alesha became a Strictly judge in 2009 – though Malcolm said they had no idea a media storm was coming after Arlene Phillips was ditched in an ageism row.

Malcolm said: "We expected Alesha to be on the panel with Arlene. We didn't realise she was replacing someone. They wanted her back the following year and she's just signed a contract for the third year."

Malcolm has two children, physics student Lisa, 19, and Robbie, 17, who goes to Boclair Academy – and says they are among the reasons he's never wanted to swap living near Glasgow for music hub London.

But what does his wife Lesley, 47, a teacher at Balmuildy Primary in Bishopbriggs, think about him hanging out with pop stars for a living?

He said: "She's used to it because we've been together for 30 years. She finds it all quite amusing."

Malcolm's now working on Alesha's upcoming appearance at the MOBOs in Glasgow and the pair's TV firm Precious Stone Productions, as well as the US trip next month.

They have also just signed up to co-manage two Glasgow bands Little Eye and The Fleet, plus she's hosting BBC kid's show Alesha's Street Dance Stars.

Malcolm said: "Everything I thought she could achieve she's achieved."