Leona Lewis makes her headline tour debut at Newcastle tonight. Viv Hardwick reports on the rise of the 25-year-old X Factor star.

DESPITE Charttopping star Leona Lewis’ July plans to tour the US being shelved, after headliner Christina Aguilera pulled out, the X Factor sensation performs tonight at the Metro Radio Arena Newcastle in front of what is likely to be one of the biggest crowds of the summer.

The shy secretary from Hackney, who won X Factor in 2006, is a surprise package because she feels she could have made it without Simon Cowell and Co. Yet she admits, having already made a demo album prior to X Factor auditions, she only entered after boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa persuaded her.

“‘I do believe in destiny. If I had continued to do my music, I would be doing what I’m doing now,” says the singer who has enjoyed success with the albums Spirit and Echo. Lewis also set download records for the singles A Moment Like This (50,000 in 30 minutes) and Run (69,244 in two days).

The tour says a lot for Lewis’ determination having been the victim of an alleged stalker at her Los Angeles home recently, witnessed police chasing gunman near LA Airport, injuring herself in a riding accident and, most dramatic of all, been punched in the face by a deranged fan, during a book signing in London in October.

She said of that incident: “For a while afterwards that had a big effect on. It was very shocking. He attacked me out of the blue. He was very unwell. It wasn’t fun – I was extremely hurt and upset.

“It could have been worse, though. I am still alive. It made me realise it’s important to always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings – but I don’t want to make myself too closed off.”

Even so her witness statement said: “I feel completely devastated by this attack. Now I am very frightened about going out in public and I don’t know where the next attack will come from and if this will be more serious than what has just happened.”

Now she adds: “I’m in the public eye, and with that comes a certain amount of risk, but if you think about it all too much then you’d never leave the house.”

Lewis still has the Hackney flat she bought with her X Factor winnings. Nearby live her parents, Joe Lewis, a youth offending officer of Guyanese descent, and her mother Maria, a Welsh social worker.

X Factor supremo Simon Cowell, is still her manager. He is worth an estimated £123m, which Lewis is aware is down to her spending two years in the US turning herself into a fullblown diva.

She says: “Every part of what I do, I’m very involved in. I’m making the decisions, especially with the live show. It’s representing me. I want it to be spectacular and the best it can be. I want people to get a sense of me. I’m very direct and very hands-on with everything I’m doing.”

■ Leona Lewis: Tonight, MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle.

Tickets: £28.50-£42.50. Box Office: 0844-493-6666. Doors open: 6pm, Gabriella Cilmi: 7.30pm-8pm, interval: 8pm- 8.30pm. Leona Lewis: 8.30pm- 10.00pm