Leona Lewis is Walking on Sunshine despite Syco split

She may have left Simon Cowell’s record label, but Leona Lewis is wasting no time moving on to her next project.

It was announced earlier this month the 2006 X Factor winner was leaving Cowell’s Syco wing of Sony Music following disappointing recent album sales and was signing for Island Records instead.

But before taking the next step in her music career her first album with Island is due out later this year Leona can first be seen and heard in new musical movie Walking on Sunshine.

Set to a soundtrack of the greatest hits of the 1980s, including Madonna’s Holiday and Wham’s Wild Boys, the feel-good film tells of a tangled love affair between two sisters and a hunky Italian while on holiday in Puglia.

Leona plays Elena, a friend of the sisters. She told me: “I’ve been really lucky with the things I’ve got to do since winning X Factor, but acting has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while.

“Walking on Sunshine fitted in perfectly, both with my schedule and that it wasn’t too far away from what I already knew, so I felt comfortable.”

Despite her musical background and dating a dance choreographer Leona said she was no dancing queen when it came to filming the musical numbers.

“Dancing was definitely the most difficult thing to do in the movie,” said the 29-year-old, whose boyfriend is German dancer Dennis Jauch.

“My songs don’t allow me to dance a lot, but when there’s something more upbeat I do find it harder to do something choreographed.”

Walking On Sunshine isn’t the first time Leona’s name has appeared on a movie’s closing credits. Her song I See You was the theme tune for James Cameron’s Avatar, the highest-grossing movie of all time.

“That was crazy,” she recalled. “James wanted me to get to know the film so invited me to come and sit with him and see his team working on the CGI.

“Along with performing with Jimmy Page at the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony, they’re my two ‘pinch your-self’ moments.”

Despite her recent split with Cowell’s record label, Leona only has good things to say about the music mogul’s influence on her career. “Winning X Factor is still something I’m so proud of,” she adds.

“People still come up to me now and say ‘We voted for you’ and feel they are part of my journey, so I have a lot I owe to the people on that show.”

Walking on Sunshine is at cinemas now.