Leona Lewis has denied that she is dating One Direction's Liam Payne. There had been speculation that the Bleeding Love singer was dating the boyband star, but she has insisted that they are "friends"."He is a really sweet, lovely guy. I'm a fan of One Direction. We have been friends for a year-and-a-half," she told the Daily Mirror.
The 27-year-old, who is eight years older than Liam, added: "I've learned from having relationships before that have been speculated about, it's best not to talk about it. "Usually the other person doesn't get a say so it's really one-sided and unfair." Leona - who performed her new single Trouble on X Factor and is preparing for the release of her third album Glassheart on October 15 - confirmed she has split from her German dancer boyfriend Dennis Jauch but is enjoying being single.
"I'm quite a free spirit. I like having my own space and being able to do whatever I want without having anyone to answer to. I've had my heart broken so many times. It's so awful," she said. But the singer, who won the X Factor in 2006, hankers to find 'the one'. "I love being in love. You have someone to come home to. You don't feel lonely because someone's always there, especially when you're travelling and need a bit of normality," she admitted.