Leona Lewis might seem like a walking, talking advertisement for sugar and spice and all things nice, but don't be fooled. The girl's got talent by the truckload and, boy, is she armed

Harder to pin down than the Beckhams, and with an entourage to boot, the 22-year-old girl-done-good from Hackney in London's East End is on a fast track to becoming the biggest and best diva this country has ever produced.

Reproduced from March 08 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. This month's issue on sale now.

If 2007 was Leona's for the taking - her single, Bleeding Love, chalked up a whopping 787,652 copies (that's over 250,000 more than Rihanna's Umbrella), and her album Spirit was the fastest-selling debut album in the UK ever - then the message from Team Leona is clear: you ain't seen nothing yet. She's the talk of the Brits (with four nominations), and this month she's set to take on America, too.

Sounds impressive. But can the painfully shy Leona we grew to know and love on The X Factor, whose biggest claim to fame up until that point was winning a Yates Wannabe Talent Contest in 2004, possibly live up to all the hype?

'I hope I can,' she says softly, when we sit down with her at an east London studio. Dressed demurely in a pink silk top, long black cardigan, jeans and suede-look boots, she looks amazing.

'I don't feel any pressure to be demanding and I'm not the kind of girl to have tantrums, so hopefully I can just associate myself with the positive aspects of being a diva - making great music and selling records.'

Here, Leona talks us through her whirlwind year, which included picking up the trophy for Ultimate Newcomer at our very own Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women Of The Year 2007 Awards in November...

Congratulations on your huge success so far. How has it been for you?

Leona Lewis: 'Totally amazing. It's been everything I expected and more. It really has been every girl's dream. I have to keep pinching myself!'

How does it feel coming home again?

Leona Lewis: 'It's always great coming home. I've been going back and forth between Hackney and America for a year now, so I've just about got used to it. Some people hate travelling, but I still think it's fun.'

Hackney must seem pretty paltry compared to Hollywood

Leona Lewis: 'Not at all, it's where I live!'

Is it weird slotting back into your old life when you come back?

Leona Lewis: 'Kind of. It's not like I have people camping outside my house, but I do get recognised when I'm out shopping. But I don't mind that. Generally, people just want to say hi and congratulations. I'm lucky that I've never had any trouble. Everyone in my area knows I live there, so they leave me alone.'

What about the violence in London now, doesn't that put you off?

Leona Lewis: 'No. Most of my friends have been shot, stabbed or beaten up. Not so much the girls but the guys I know. There was a 17-year-old boy who was shot dead before Christmas. I didn't know him but he lived in my area. My heart goes out to his family; he was way too young.

It makes you take stock and realise you can't take anything for granted. You have to appreciate life. But all of my friends have been involved in some kind of trouble growing up. It's part of being young in London.'

What about you, have you ever had any gangland trouble?

Leona Lewis: 'No, thankfully.'

How did you escape being a victim of violence?

Leona Lewis: 'I suppose because I had something I was passionate about, I always had a goal, which kept me off the streets. My parents weren't properly strict with me but they had ground rules, like when it was dark out, they wanted me at home.

They didn't need to tell me twice, though. I was a good kid and realised early on that if I showed them I was responsible, they'd give me more leeway on things. The worst punishment I ever got was a telling-off for being late!'

Did your parents set you on the path to success?

Leona Lewis: 'I'm really close to them. My mum's a social worker and my dad's a young offenders officer, and I'm forever grateful that they realised my love of singing and bent over backwards financially to send me to stage school when I was six.

I got so much experience there, it was just brilliant. When I was 12 I went to an inner-city school for a couple of years, which was fine. I didn't get involved in any trouble because I was so focused on my singing; I wasn't interested in anything else. From 14 to 17 I went to the BRIT School with Katie Melua.'

How does your family feel about your new-found fame?

Leona Lewis: 'They are all so supportive and totally used to it now. My brothers Kyle, 20, and Bradley, 26, have been amazed by the whirlwind, but they're cool about it now. Yes, we talk about my singing career when we're together - in the same way anyone would talk about their job - because it's a huge part of my life.

But we also chat about normal things, like what my Auntie Sue has been up to. My family keeps my feet on the ground and makes sure I stay the same way I have always been. I talk to them before I make any major decisions, as I know they have my best interests at heart.'

What about your mates?

Leona Lewis: 'I've got a real mixture of friends. A lot of them are the same ones I've had for years, so they know how important this is for me. Singing has always been my dream, so they're as happy as me that it's come true!'

How do you even go about explaining all the things you've been doing to them?

Leona Lewis: 'I don't need to. They think everything I've been through in the past year is really exciting. At first, though, all they wanted to know was what Simon Cowell was really like!'

So ... Spill!

Leona Lewis: 'Well, I don't deal with him on a day-to-day basis. I saw him when I was given a Guinness World Record. That was a real pinch-yourself moment. But, as I tell my friends, Simon is really supportive and gives me great advice on what I'm up to; they soon stopped asking me after that.

I don't really know any other famous people, though, so there's no gossip there. Instead, me and my mates talk about all the normal stuff girls talk about: boys, clothes, weight.'

Talking of weight, are you feeling the squeeze to be a size 0 yet?

Leona Lewis: 'No. I'm a size 10 and I think the main thing is to be comfortable in your own skin. Being happy and healthy go hand in hand. I'm a vegetarian, I drink lots of water and I try to exercise as much as possible.

I still go to the same local gym I've always gone to. The only difference is people tend to stare at me now! But I don't mind. I want people to see the real me.'

Really?!

Leona Lewis: 'Yes. The funniest time was when I got off the cross trainer, you know, all flustered and red-faced, and this girl came up to me and asked for a photo! I let her, though. So there's a picture of me looking sweaty doing the rounds somewhere.'

Let's talk about love. You've been with your boyfriend Lou since you were 17. Is he the one?

Leona Lewis: 'Yes. [Pauses] I hope so.'

You have a huge tour of the US coming up. Will he join you on the road?

Leona Lewis: 'Yes. He's an apprentice electrician, so his time is very flexible, thankfully! We usually go back and forth from America together, which is brilliant.'

Has it changed your relationship?

Leona Lewis: 'No, not at all. He's so supportive of me. I mean, it can be difficult when you read stuff in the papers and it's not true [the day before our interview, there was a news story stating that Leona and Lou were getting married, which is completely unfounded: 'I'm only 22. I'm still learning how to look after myself!'].

What I find the most difficult is when people say things about Lou like, 'But he's just an electrician!' Are they trying to say that I'm any better than him because I'm a singer? We are all human beings. We should be seeing each other for who we are on the inside.'

So that's one downside of fame. What are the others?

Leona Lewis: 'I hate being asked about my family, because the people in my personal life haven't asked to be in the spotlight. The worst thing I've read in the papers was that my parents had split up, which totally wasn't true and really upset me because it was only in the papers because of me.

But other than that, I like it all. I tend to keep myself to myself when I'm not working. When I go out in London, I avoid the big celeb hangouts with rows of paparazzi outside.

I've never been a big clubbing person anyway, so that doesn't feel like a sacrifice. I prefer to have girly nights in, with my friends round at my flat.'

And less chance of half-cut pictures of you ending up in the weeklies, as well!

Leona Lewis: 'Actually, I don't drink - I hate the taste of alcohol - so there's very little chance of that!

It's one of the reasons I prefer staying in. When my single went to No.1 last year I celebrated with non-alcoholic champagne. It was alright, but you wouldn't want a whole bottle of it. That's not to say I haven't had any embarrassing incidents, though.'

Do tell ...

Leona Lewis: 'Just before I went on The X Factor I was on stage singing and my dress started ripping up the front. I was mortified, but I carried on singing. You have to.'

Now that you're a glamorous star, presumably you travel around in big chauffeur-driven cars?

Leona Lewis: 'No, my dad and my nephew are picking me up. See, I'm not a demanding diva, am I?'