[Red Moon]

Leona Lewis gets friendly with Transformers star as she looks set for her third UK number one

Leona Lewis has been taking the US by storm in recent months and the X Factor winner is clearly having no trouble making friends across the pond.

Last month Justin Timberlake gushed about the 23-year-old after performing with her at a charity children's concert and now Lewis has befriended singer/actor Tyrese Gibson.

The pair were spotted deep in conversation outside Lewis's hotel in Santa Monica, California and shared a friendly hug before she headed to the airport to fly to Europe.

Gibson has appeared in Transformers and 2 Fast to Furious. He shot to fame in 1995 after appearing in a Coca-Cola advert.

Lewis – who has been dating boyfriend Lou Al-Chama, 23, for six years - recently admitted that she would like to follow in the footsteps of R&B star Beyonce and move into acting.

‘Beyonce is great, so lovely and down to earth and talented,' Lewis told the Sun newspaper.

'She’s definitely inspiring. I might go into acting like her if the right thing comes along, like a small movie part.'

The former X Factor winner has enjoyed huge success in the US since the release of her debut album Spirit in 2006.

Her cover version of Snow Patrol’s Run is released on Monday and is expected to head straight to the top spot.

Source: Daily Mail