X Factor winner Leona Lewis gets a diva makeover

Her voice has constantly been compared to those of her idols - Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston.

But now Leona Lewis not only sings like them, but is beginning to look like them as Britain's top female singer unveiled a highly-styled diva image.

Clean living diva: Leona Lewis has topped the charts with her second single, and now looks every inch the highly-styled diva

Leona, who Cowell declared "one of the best singers we've had in this country for 20 years", has topped the charts with her second single Bleeding Love.

And in keeping with her new status, she swept onstage to perform at the Harpers Bazaar & Moet Gold party wearing a full-length, body-sculpting, shocking pink gown.

With hair scraped back into a ponytail, and dramatic smoky-eye make-up, Leona was virtually unrecognisable from the shy 21-year old who first appeared on the top reality show, and instead looked every inch the chart-topping star as she debuted her new look.

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X Factor winner Leona, 22, entered the chart at Number One, and has sold more than 218,000 copies of her new track Bleeding Love, taken from forthcoming album Spirit, to beat boyband Take That to the number one spot.

Last year she claimed the Christmas number one spot with her debut single A Moment Like This, knocking Take That off the prime position with their comeback single Patience.

Later, diva-in-training Leona changed into a little less showy number to enjoy the party. There was no unladylike hitching up of her frock a la Kate Moss, but a quick change into a black cocktail dress, and a leather jacket for a bit of rock and roll style.

Rock and roll chic: Leona changes into a little black number to enjoy the Harper's Bazaar & Moet Gold party

Clean-living Leona, who famously doesn't drink alcohol or smoke, makes a refreshing change from the drink and drug addled stalwarts of the British music world.

But she admitted she finds it daunting to be compared to the likes of Mariah, Whitney and Celine.

She said: "To be compared to them just one per cent would be amazing to me.

"I am nervous, but there's no way I'm going to let this opportunity slide.

"Whatever happens to me from now on, I can't ever imagine wanting to distance myself from The X Factor, or having a bad word to say about it, because the show opened doors for me that had never opened before.

"I feel, and I hope, I'm the same girl I've always been and that my situation has changed, but I haven't."