Leona Lewis

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 strength 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. Between 2007 and 2015, Leona Lewis released five albums and since then she has appeared on a number of television shows, been a guest vocalist on many records, and has held a concert residency in Las Vegas.

Why Leona Lewis is vegan

Leona Lewis is vegan because she loves all animals.

Leona Lewis has been vegetarian since the young age of 12 and a vegan since 2012¹Lewis, L. 2012. ‘I’ve been vegan for a few days now, I’m trying it for the whole month. Any recipes you can recommend?’ X. Available: https://x.com/leonalewis/status/253108922653753344 [Accessed 2 June 2026]. (although one website says she eats egg whites²Jones, A. J. 2016. What I Eat In A Week By Leona Lewis. Women’s Health. Available: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a705293/leona-lewis-diet/ [Accessed 2 June 2026].). Leona Lewis stopped eating meat because her mum would take her to farms to feed the animals and one day she realised she was eating the same animals that she loved.³Kirkova, D. 2016. Leona Lewis on going vegetarian, buying cruelty-free – and why she doesn’t eat cheese. Metro. Available: https://metro.co.uk/2016/02/11/leona-lewis-on-going-vegetarian-buying-cruelty-free-and-why-she-doesnt-eat-cheese-5675134/ [Accessed 2 June 2026].

Leona Lewis applies her ethical code to business opportunities too. She once turned down nearly £1 million to open a Harrods store because they still sell fur.⁴Marie 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 was the Brand Activist for Body Shop, working with Cruelty-Free International to end cosmetic testing on animals.⁵Marie 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]. Lewis has released a charity single raising money for The Vanderpump Dog Foundation in opposition to the Yulin Dog Meat Festival⁶Oppenheim, 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]. and is also a trustee of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, which rescues horses and farmed animals.⁷Hopefield Animal Sanctuary. 2021. Our Story. Available: https://hopefield.org.uk/our-story [Accessed 23 March 2021].

“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.”⁸Kirkova, D. 2016. Leona Lewis on going vegetarian, buying cruelty-free – and why she doesn’t eat cheese. Metro. Available: https://metro.co.uk/2016/02/11/leona-lewis-on-going-vegetarian-buying-cruelty-free-and-why-she-doesnt-eat-cheese-5675134/ [Accessed 2 June 2026].