Her extraordinary rise from East London teenager with an amazing voice to record-breaking singer on the brink of mega-stardom has been the success story of the year. Now, to celebrate her stellar rise and HELLO’s 1000th edition, Leona Lewis is sharing her amazing experiences exclusively with the magazine.

The green-eyed beauty is the perfect cover girl for HELLO!’s landmark 1000th issue, which comes with a free, silver-mounted freshwater pearl pendant. And the timing of the shoot to accompany the exclusive interview couldn’t have been better - it was almost 1000 days ago that Leona, then a struggling unknown, won her last talent competition before finding fame on The X Factor.

In the special seven-page report Leona reveals how she is handling her new-found wealth and fame, as well as the difficult days before she hit the big time. Leaving school at 17, she worked as a waitress and a receptionist to make ends meet while she pursued her dream of becoming a professional singer.

“I knew it was hard, and that I was just a Hackney girl, and that it’s a big world out there,” says the 22-year-old, whose single Bleeding Love is currently riding high at the top of the UK charts. “But if you stay focused and dedicated, I always believed you could achieve something.”

Read Leona’s amazing story in the special 1000th issue of HELLO magazine, on sale from December 11.