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7 December 2023, 16:45
Leona Lewis is one of the finest talents to have ever been discovered on TV talent shows.
Since winning The X Factor in 2006, she has become one of the most popular and successful stars of the past 15 years.
Here are the biggest facts about the singer that every fan should know:
Leona Lewis performs heartfelt rendition of Robbie Williams' Angels
Leona was born on April 3, 1985.
She celebrated her 38th birthday in 2023.
She was born in Islington, London, to a Welsh mother, Maria, and a father of Guyanese descent, Aural Josiah.
She also has an older half-brother, Bradley, and a younger brother, Kyle.
Leona has been with partner Dennis Jauch since 2010.
German choreographer and entrepreneur Dennis previously worked as a backing dancer on Leona's UK tour.
They first announced their engagement in November 2018, and they married in July the next year. The couple married in Tuscany, Italy, at Sting's 16th century, 865-acre, Il Palagio estate.
In March 2022, Leona announced that she was pregnant with her first child.
She confirmed the happy news with a stunning photograph on her Twitter and Instagram accounts.
She captioned the post: "Canโt wait to meet you in the Summer โค๏ธ"
Their daughter Carmel Allegra was born in 2022.
Calum Scott, Leona Lewis - You Are The Reason (Duet Version)
Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and later at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, the Ravenscourt Theatre School and the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology.
She attended the BRIT School at the same time as Katie Melua, Adele and Jessie J, while Amy Winehouse was also a student. At 17, Leona decided to leave BRIT School to "get out there" and pursue a career in music.
Leona recorded a demo album, called Twilight, but it failed to secure her an album deal. A second demo album was recorded, Best Kept Secret, but it was also unsuccessful.
She later said: "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract. That's why I decided to audition for The X Factor. It's programmes like these which provide the best place to showcase fresh new talent."
Leona has a mezzo-soprano vocal range, which spans four octaves, and has had classical training. She has stated that she practises operatic scales every week.