Leona Lewis: The Best New Artist of the Decade?

10 Most Interesting Facts About Leona Lewis

1. Rumor has it that Leona Lewis is planning to marry her 23 year-old boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa, with whom she currently shares a London apartment. Lou and Leona have known each other since they were neighbors as children and have been a couple for the past 5 years.
2. Born in Islington 3 April 1985, Leona grew up with dad, Joe (Aural Josiah), 46, a Guyanese youth worker and mum, Marie, 42, a social worker from Wales. She has two brothers, Kyle, 21, a mechanic, and Bradley, 26, an editor at MTV. Leona's middle name is Louise.
3. Leona is also interested in dancing and acting. She can play the piano and guitar.
4. Leona has been a vegetarian since the age of 12. Leona doesn't drink alcohol.
5. Leona is a songwriter and shares credits on several of the songs on her first album 'Spirit'. She wrote her fist song at the age of 12.
6. Immediately before she won the X-Factor, the UK talent show that brought her to fame, Leona was working as a receptionist for a mortgage broker. She has also worked as a Pizza Hut waitress.
7. Leona auditioned for the X-Factor with a heartful rendition of Judy Garlands "Over The Rainbow". The ever nit-picky Simon Cowell remarked at the conclusion "It wasn't perfect, because you fell off the melody at several points. But when it was on, it was absolutely fantastic".
8. In February 2007, Clive Davis, the record producer behind Whitney Houstan's career, signed Leona up for a $9.7 million five-album record deal.
9. Two major rumors are circulating about Leona: First, she will sing in the next James Bond movie. Second she will appear in a mid-season 2008 episode of American Idol to launch her into the US market.
10. Leona has made UK chart history by having one of the top selling UK single for 2 years running. Bleeding Love was the biggest selling single of 2007 and A Moment Like This was the second biggest selling single of 2006. A Moment Like This broke the world record for downloads by selling 50,000 in the first half hour.