Singer Leona Lewis attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Avatar" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on December 16, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)more pics »Leona Lewis shot to fame after winning
Simon Cowell's talent show
The X Factor back in 2006, and although the two are close, she still finds him a bit intimidating.
Leona and Simon (DailyMail.co.uk)
Talking about recording some new material, she said: "He didn't come to the studio but I'd play him songs down the phone. It's scary and you think, 'Please like it!' We've formed more of a bond and we can be honest with each other."
In addition to Simon, Leona says she has lots of celebrity friends, like Beatles legend Sir
Paul McCartney and his family. She said: "I have a relationship with the McCartneys. I respect their values and their opinions about vegetarianism because I'm a vegetarian. They're really cool people."
But despite her successes, the singer admits she still gets overwhelmed when she meets other stars. She added: "I was star-struck when I met
Samuel L. Jackson and
Daniel Day-Lewis at the Golden Globes. I was excited when I met
Nelson Mandela, too. I performed at his birthday in 2008. I was really honored."
More pictures of Leona Lewis (click any photo):
Leona and Simon (DailyMail.co.uk)
