Leona Lewis

leona lewis
"Leona-leona-lewis-959797_1024_768" by firzen47 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Leona Lewis is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. Although she has always loved the performing arts, she became a star when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006. Since then her music career has gone from strnegth to strength having won two MOBO Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award, and two World Music Awards. She has also been nominated for six BRIT Awards and three Grammy Awards.

Leona Lewis has been vegetarian since the young age of 12 and a vegan since 2012 (although some websites report her eating egg whites). Not only does Leona have a beautiful voice but she has a beautiful soul too, having once turned down nearly £1 million to open a Harrods store because they still sell fur.1Marie Claire. 2008. Leona Lewis rejects Harrods offer for vegetarian beliefs. Available: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity-news/leona-lewis-rejects-harrods-offer-for-vegetarian-beliefs-179218 [Accessed 23 March 2021]. She is the Brand Activist for Body Shop, working with Cruelty-Free International to end cosmetic testing on animals. Lewis has released a charity single raising money for The Vanderpump Dog Foundation in opposition to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival and is also the trustee of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, which rescues horses and farmed animals.2Marie Claire. 2013. Leona Lewis appointed The Body Shop’s new Brand Activist. Available: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/beauty-news/leona-lewis-appointed-the-body-shop-s-new-brand-activist-128258 [Accessed 23 March 2021].

As well as animal causes, Leona has raised money and awareness for HIV/AIDS, water scarcity and youth issues.

I would go to farms a lot with my mum when I was younger to look at the animals – chickens and pigs – and I began to realise that I was eating those same farm animals I loved to go to feed and to be around all the time. I remember saying to my mum I just would not eat it any more. I stopped when I was about six or seven.3Oppenheim, M. 2016. Yulin Dog Meat Festival: Matt Damon, Pamela Anderson and Leona Lewis call for controversial event to be banned. Independent. Available: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/yulin-dog-meat-festival-2016-dogs-cruelty-china-criticism-matt-damon-pamela-anderson-leona-lewis-a7093776.html [Accessed 23 March 2021].

References

References
  • 1
    Marie Claire. 2008. Leona Lewis rejects Harrods offer for vegetarian beliefs. Available: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity-news/leona-lewis-rejects-harrods-offer-for-vegetarian-beliefs-179218 [Accessed 23 March 2021].
  • 2
    Marie Claire. 2013. Leona Lewis appointed The Body Shop’s new Brand Activist. Available: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/beauty-news/leona-lewis-appointed-the-body-shop-s-new-brand-activist-128258 [Accessed 23 March 2021].
  • 3
    Oppenheim, M. 2016. Yulin Dog Meat Festival: Matt Damon, Pamela Anderson and Leona Lewis call for controversial event to be banned. Independent. Available: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/yulin-dog-meat-festival-2016-dogs-cruelty-china-criticism-matt-damon-pamela-anderson-leona-lewis-a7093776.html [Accessed 23 March 2021].