Introducing... Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis is a competitor on British television's The X Factor, the current incarnation of "Pop Idol" that was so famously translated into American Idol for American audiences. It's semi-finals week, which means that the judges get to pick out a song for one performer. And surprise surprise, Simon Cowell picked out "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for his contestant, like he did with Katherine McPhee in the States. I absolutely loved McPhee's version. But Leona's blows that rendition clear out of the water.

Also, The X Factor has a MUCH nicer stage set than Idol does. And it doesn't have Ryan Seacrest giggling/flirting with anything that's in sight. Anyways, here's the incredibly talented and gifted Leona:



UPDATE: Raymond Lewis is Leona's competitor in the upcoming X Factor finale. You can watch one of his performances here. Early congratulations to Leona for winning!