D.O.B: April 3, 1985
Home town:London Borough of Islington, UK
Star sign: Aries
Find out all about:
- Why she turned down AUS $2.4 million for her love of animals.
- Her boyfriend
- Which of her songs is the biggest selling of any female artist in the 21st century (woah!).
- What jobs she did as a teenager (hint: not very glamorous!)
Meet Leona Lewis, the girl who turned down £1 million ($2.14 million pounds) in order to make a statement about animal rights.
You'd never guess from her unique beauty and soulful diva-esque voice, but Leona Lewis actually got her big break on a UK version of Idol, The X Factor! Yep, that's right, Leona battled it out from the ground up with the other contestants, but came out on top as the clear favourite. And are we surprised? Hmm, let us a think about that for a minute. Um, no!
She may have gotten her start in the music industry on reality TV, but Leona Lewis has proved her worth with record-breaking hits 'A Moment Like This' and 'Bleeding Love'. She's also made us love her all the more by staying grounded and not getting caught up on the party lifestyle that traps so many celebs.
Leona was born in London, to a father of African descent, and a mother of Welsh, Italian and Irish descent. So that's where she gets her amazing looks from!
She attended theatre school, learned the guitar and piano and wrote songs as a kid. When she was a teen she started working several jobs in order to pay for time at a recording studio, including a waitressing and reception work. It's nice to see someone who's worked so hard finally become successful.
And boy has she been successful alright!
'Bleeding Love' is the biggest-selling song of the 21st century by a female artist (woah!) and her debut album Spirit became the fastest-selling debut album ever in the UK and Ireland. Yep, you could say this chick is a record breaker.
But despite her massive success, this is not a chick with a big head. Leona continues to lead a normal life (well, as normal as possible for someone that's pretty famous!), living outside of London with her boyfriend, an electrician who she's known since she was 11 (awww!) and her Rottweiler pup named Rome.
Still not sold on Leona? Well, this last piece of info should surely seal the deal. She's a passionate animal rights activist. "Yeah, yeah" we hear you say. "They're all animal rights activists these days!" Yes, but would they all turn down £1 million for the cause?
A vegetarian since she was 12 and once voted PETA's Person of the Year, Leona was offered £1 million to open a Harrods department store sale in London. But Leona refused, because Harrods stock clothing made from animal fur! Now that's dedication.
So that's the low-down on Leona. Check out these pretty pics from her video clip for 'Forgive Me'!
Are you a fan of Leona? Leave your thoughts below!
