SIMON COWELL - US WON'T LEAVE LEONA ALONE

US WON'T LEAVE LEONA ALONE

America rarely goes crazy over a UK artist, but it seems young LEONA LEWIS, the winner of this year's UK X FACTOR, has hit all the right buttons stateside.

Some of the biggest record companies in the US, including Sony and J Records, have been bombarding LEONA's representative SIMON COWELL with offers for a contract after the stunning youngster bowled over audiences in the talent competition.

Normally artists from reality TV shows such as POP IDOL and X FACTOR are waved aside by music moguls as just another flash in the pan, but LEONA is considered to have real talent - and could be around for a while.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, SIMON COWELL admitted that CLIVE DAVIS, a big name in the US, revealed he has been having big fights with Sony over who was going to sign the girl, whose singing voice has been compared to both MARIAH CAREY and WHITNEY HOUSTON.

COWELL said: "They [Sony and J Records] were at each other's throats which I've never seen before over an artist from the UK and especially someone from a reality show."

He added that the war began long before 21-year-old LEONA won the competition on Saturday night.