X Factor legend celebrates after being named in New Year honours list
LEONA Lewis has landed herself a spot on the New Year Honours list.
The X Factor champion has been made an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to the music industry and charity.
The singer has joined the likes of England goalkeeper Mary Earps, Dame Shirley Bassey and Tony Blackburn on this year's list.
Leona, 38, has been nominated for six BRIT Awards and three Grammys and performed on Broadway.
As well as a successful music career, which saw her debut album, Spirit, become one of the best-sellers of the 2000s, she's done a lot for charitable causes.
She is particularly interested in offering her services to animal charities and uses her voice to support animal activism, sustainability and conservation.
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Leona and her husband Dennis Jauch, also opened two vegan cafes in LA.
She told Lorraine stand-in host Christine Lampard, 44, of their very normal business venture in the States in a departure from her music.
Christine said to the ITV star: "In a side step from music you're very very passionate about the fact you have coffee shops now in LA.
"And it's very health based, vegan based, plant based, you take it very seriously.
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"It's a very important passion project for you."
Leona, speaking of her "important mission", replied: "Yeah so my husband and I actually opened up these two shops and I think we had always seen our own parents working, and building up their own businesses.
"I think we wanted a brick and mortar store.
"And I love coffee shops, I love sitting and writing and reading books in shops, so we decided to open a couple up.
"And yeah we just love it it's like our passion project."
She added: "It is very much a family business and Carmel [her daughter] is always with us in there and it's lovely."
Her cafes also partnered up with Hopefield Animal Sanctuary.
Leona has also campaigned for HIV/AIDS, Save The Children, The Prince's Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust, WWF and the American Red Cross.
The 2006 X Factor winner also performed during the pandemic to raise money for COVID-19 initiatives.
Leona recently visited Hackney Family Centre in East London, where she grew up.
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She said that she was "incredibly moved" as she met with struggling mums.
The former X Factor winner — who became a mum to daughter in August, her first child with choreographer husband Dennis Jauch — visited the volunteer-led hub, one of Britain’s 200 baby banks which provide essentials such as nappies, toys and clothes from newborns to kids up to five.
