Leona Lewis On Liam Payne: "He's A Really Sweet, Lovely Guy"

8 October 2012, 08:37 | Updated: 8 October 2012, 08:39

The 'Glassheart' singer breaks her silence over reports she is dating the One Direction singer.

Leona Lewis has confirmed she is friends with One Direction's Liam Payne and described him as a "really sweet, lovely guy".

The pair have been the subject of romance rumours in recent weeks, but Liam told Capital FM last Friday (45h October) that they were "just friends".

The One Direction star recently split from girlfriend Danielle Peazer, while Leona is also recently single after breaking up with her dancer boyfriend.

"He is a really sweet, lovely guy," Leona told the Daily Mirror. "I'm a fan of One Direction. We have been friends for a year-and-a-half."

Leona, who releases her new album 'Glassheart' this month, would not be drawn further on questions about Liam, but did admit she liked being in love.

Liam Payne and Leona Lewis have faced questions about their alleged romance in recent weeks:

During an appearance on Capital FM last week, Liam told Capital there was no truth in the reports about his romance with Leona, insisting they were "just friends".

One Direction released their new single 'Live While We're Young' last month.

The new song is the first to be taken from their forthcoming album 'Take Me Home'. The group released the tracklisting for their new album last week.