The singer, whose debut album is due for release next week, brightened up Oxford Street when she flicked the switch.

Thousands of revellers enjoyed the switch-on party with live performances by Westlife and the cast of West End musical Mary Poppins. The theme of this year’s lights is the Disney Christmas film, Enchanted.

Lewis said: "I’m really excited about switching on the lights. Just really honoured that I was asked to do it. I’m going to spend Christmas at home chilling out with my family. I’m going to open my presents and then just veg out. I had a wonderful Christmas last year. The number one was the best present ever and since then I’ve just been on a high. I’ve just got back from the X Factor tour and I’ve been writing and working on the album too.

Her album, Spirit, is released next Monday.

Lewis said: "Making the album was a lot of fun. It was hard work because I recorded so many songs and then we had to whittle it down, which was the really hard part."

She said she is still working on which song is going to be the next single. "There are no plans to tour at the moment but hopefully in the future I will be. Hopefully after this album I will be able to get back into the studio and produce more songs," she added.

After the lights were switched on, Lewis, who won X Factor last year, headed to the premiere of Disney’s Enchanted.

Westlife performed their 2001 number one hit World Of Our Own and also Home from their new album, Back Home, which is released next week. The band said they were really excited to be at the event. "Every Christmas we have a new album out so it’s always a very busy time for us but also an exciting time too," they said.

They added that they are taking next year off because they are "knackered" and want to to prepare for the future.


Leona celebrates second week at top - Nov 5 2007
X Factor winner Leona Lewis has seen off competition from veteran boy bands Take That and Westlife to stay on top of the singles chart.

The 22-year-old’s hit, Bleeding Love, remained at number one for a second week, by again outselling the rest of the top five put together, with 158,370 sales.

She beat Take That’s Rule The World into second place and Westlife’s new single Home, which debuted at three.

Timbaland’s Apologize claimed fourth spot after moving up three spaces, followed by Mark Ronson’s reworking of Valerie, which features Amy Winehouse.

Sugababes former number one hit About You Now slides to six, followed by Britney Spears’ Gimme More single, and the Freemasons’ Uninvited holds on to eight spot.

Goodbye Mr A, by the Hoosiers, and McFly’s The Heart Never Lies complete the top ten.

In the album charts, legendary 70s rockers The Eagles made chart history by landing their first ever number one in the UK.

Long Road out of Eden hit the top spot more than 30 years after the arrival of the US band on the music scene.

According to the Official Charts Company, it marks the longest time a group has ever taken to reach the top of the UK charts from its album debut - 33 years and seven months. It is the band’s first full studio album since The Long Run 28 years ago.

Britney Spears had to settle for the number two spot with her new offering Blackout, while last week’s chart toppers the Hoosiers slip down to three with The Trick of Life.


Leona to switch on Christmas lights - Oct 29 2007
Singer Leona Lewis will light up London’s Oxford Street this year when she performs the task of turning on its world-famous Christmas lights next month, it has been announced.