Leona Lewis responds to Jamelia jibe

Leona Lewis was "hurt" when she heard of Jamelia's jibes this week, and even decided not to retaliate, but to praise the R&B star.

The showbiz feud saw Jamelia brand the X Factor winner as "a poor man's Mariah Carey", and later in a tabloid interview predicting that she would "fade into obscurity eventually.

"I don't know if she did say it. If she did, it's a shame, because the feeling's not mutual," Leona told Celebs on Sunday. "I think she's great. It's quite hurtful to hear that. As female artists we shouldn't be bitching about each other, we should be supporting each other."

"There are so many great young female artists - Kate Nash, Katie Melua, KT Tunstall," she continued. "Amy Winehouse is a great performer and I know she's been through some difficult times, but people should focus on her music instead."

Despite all this, Leona Lewis is set to enjoy brilliant success with 'Bleeding Love', released this week and tipped to top the charts.