I was an X Factor winner – now I’ve got a normal job running a coffee shop with an ‘important mission’
A FAN-FAVOURITE X Factor winner who delighted fans with her stunning vocals has a very normal job away from chart fame.
The Bleeding Love hitmaker, 38, opened up on owning two vegan, plant based cafes with her husband after being inspired by her parents’ “bricks and mortar” business.
Leona Lewis won the third series of The X Factor in 2006.
She is returning to the UK for her first tour, Christmas With Love, in six years.
Yet with spending much of her time in the US, Leona has put down roots there with husband Dennis Jauch, 34.
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.
“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.”
Leona made her big baby reveal in August 2022.
At the time, the star and her husband told fans that they had called their baby girl Carmel Allegra.
Along with a cute snap she wrote: “And then there were three. Our little Carmel Allegra arrived 22.7.22.”
And there’s a sweet meaning behind the pretty name, with a link to Leona’s love of gardening.
Carmel is a girl’s name of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of it is garden, or orchard.