 At the age of 17, Lewis decided to leave BRIT School to "get out there" and pursue a career in music.By then, she had already begun to write and record her own material, and she worked as a receptionist at a solicitor's office and as a Pizza Hut waitress in order to fund the studio sessions.At 18, Lewis secured a lead role in "The Lion King" theatre show in Paris; however, she withdrew after injuring her back while she was ice-skating.