23 October 2023 , 07:44
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When Leona Lewis won a £1million record deal after winning the X Factor with a landslide victory, the course of her life was about to change forever. The 38-year-old had previously been working as a waitress in Pizza Hut but had dreamed of building a career belting melodies out on stage.
After graduating from the iconic BRIT school, the starlet struggled to catch a break in showbiz and so turned to the hit ITV singing competition in 2006. The Hackney-born singer was a firm favourite from the get-go, and under the mentorship of judge Simon Cowell, she stole the show by miles, defeating Ray Quinn in the final.
Her cover of Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This made it to Christmas number one, selling more copies than the rest of that week's top 40 combined, and she was immediately signed to Simon's Syco record label. Since then, Leona has sold over 35 million records worldwide, been nominated for six BRIT Awards and three Grammys and won two MOBO awards.
Leona Lewis won The X Factor back in 2006 (BPM)
Leona also won a record deal with Syco (Talkback Thames)Her debut studio album Spirit became the fourth-best selling of the 2000s and lead single Bleeding Love spent seven weeks at UK number one. However, she announced her decision to ditch Simon and part ways with Syco in 2014 after falling out of love with the record label.
"Simon Cowell has been incredible but at the end of a day it's a huge label now," she told The Independent at the time. I felt like at that stage all they were doing was holding me back from fulfilling my potential, to ask me to do a covers album was… there was no love in it.
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"Simon probably doesn't even know what went on in that way, but I felt disrespected and I felt it was a very callous way to act when all I was trying to do was do what I loved. I was in limbo and that's the worst place to be. You can't leave me hanging on a string."
Leona landed a new record deal with Universal and later explained that there was no bad blood between her and Simon. "Simon sent me a really lovely note the other week saying they miss me at the label," she added. "There's nothing but love there. He knew I had to leave. He was upset about it but it was time for something new so I'm excited about moving on and doing something different."
Leona joined Simon when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (FilmMagic)
The pair still have a good relationship (PA)And in December 2021, the singing sensation poured cold water on feud rumours, insisting she still has a 'good' relationship with the music mogul, who she described as a 'big supporter'. Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, Leona said: "It was [an amicable split] – we're still good, we keep in contact, he checks in on me, I check in on him."
Meanwhile, Leona admitted that she thought it was the right decision to axe the X Factor, and explained that she'd struggled with self-doubt after being catapulted into the limelight. Leona said: "It was bound to happen at some point and I feel like it was the right time.
"We are in a different day and age now, with streaming and all the different platforms that we are on — there is so much out there. Everything has to evolve and move on and we can’t stay static. We have to go with it and embrace it, it was time."
While Leona has had lots of success in her career, away from showbiz she began suffering from an array of ailments that led to her being diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease in 2017. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid gland and causes chronic fatigue, nausea and pain, which left Leona struggling with day to day life.
Leona is married to German choreographer Dennis Jauch (Instagram)"I was feeling very sick and had chronic fatigue and these really bad pains in my neck and throat. I didn’t know what was going on. It was a pretty hard time," she wrote in an essay for Glamour. Suspecting the illness was linked to her hectic lifestyle and exposure to chemicals used in beauty and hair products, she stopped straightening her hair and made numerous other lifestyle changes.
"When I was first diagnosed, I was absolutely devastated; I felt very scared and alone ," she said. "I could hear my body telling me that I needed to slow down. I also started to feel tired during performances. I began taking medication but also turned to Ayurveda (my mum is a master herbalist) to help heal my body naturally. I just got to a point where I wanted to start over physically and emotionally. I started eating better and I stopped straightening my hair."
As for her personal life, Leona split from childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa in 2010 and then met choreographer and creative director Dennis Jauch on her Labyrinth tour. In July 2019 she married the German dancer in a Tuscan vineyard, telling OK! Magazine before the wedding that Dennis is her "rock".
"We're so ready to do this. Dennis is the most kind, considerate person I've ever met," she gushed of her man, who popped the question during a holiday to Puerto Rico. The couple have owned a series of multi-million properties and in November 2019 they sold their £1.8million ranch in Glendale, California for a £2.9million home in Los Angeles' famous Hidden Hills. Showing her relationship with Simon Cowell is still strong, she sold the house to the music tycoon in 2020 and now lives in Studio City in a £2million mansion.
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Leona Lewis and Dennis Jauch met in 2010 (Getty Images)
Leona confirmed her pregnancy with a sweet snap (@leonalewis/Instagram)Leona had said in the past that she wasn't sure about having kids, once saying: "I do want children, but Dennis and I have also talked about adopting. "My mum grew up in a children's home. No one adopted her as a child and I would very much like to adopt. But I'm still figuring things out.
"If it was up to my husband, we would have had kids yesterday." But then fans were thrilled when she announced they were expecting their first child and last August, Leona revealed the birth of their daughter, Carmel Allegra.
She shared a sweet snap which showcased a partial view of the newborn's face as she cradled the tot, who was wearing an adorable light pink onesie, and held on to her hubby's hand. She captioned the post: "And then there were three. Our little Carmel Allegra arrived 22.7.22."
Leona is now the proud owner of a vegan coffee shop in LA. She relocated to Los Angeles following her stardom success and set up Coffee and Plants in Pasadena three years ago. The star is now looking to expand her booming side hustle, opening another site in the Studio City neighbourhood.
She said: "We are excited to bring our disruptive plant-based concept, Coffee and Plants, to the Studio City neighborhood. We are aiming to help the world, one cup at a time, to move away from dairy consumption by introducing plant-based products to the masses, all while giving back to the planet and our animal friends."