Peter Kowalczyk, 29, the emotionally unstable singer accused of punching the star, was arrested at the scene, and later sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Despite canceling several promotional appearances following the incident, Leona is eager to put the ordeal behind her.

“It could have been worse. I’m still alive, it’s just something you have to deal with when you have fame and the positives far outweigh the negatives. I don’t like to dwell on the negatives, I’m a very positive person.”

Leona is as loyal as she is positive; the songbird turned down the chance to make out with Chace Crawford.

The X Factor winner, 24, and the Gossip Girl star appeared together in her “I Will Be” video last year, but Leona didn’t want to upset her longtime boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa by smooching with the hunk.

“They wanted me and Chace to kiss. But I said no way. I’d just have been too embarrassed, he’s my friend! He’s so beautiful, I mean, look at him – he could be a girl. He’d be a really pretty girl,” she laughed.

“But I just don’t think of him like that. And it wouldn’t be fair to Lou to kiss other guys.”

The X-Factor winner was leaving her East London home when her driver grew concerned their car was being tailed.

‘”She was being followed by about a dozen photographers and things were getting hairy,” says her rep. “She dived into the nearest police station, waited there for a while as things calmed down, then was able to continue on her way.”

A police spokesman confirmed: “We were alerted at 2.30pm to a potentially dangerous situation outside the garage. Officers attended and escorted a 24-year-old woman to a place of safety.”

Leona was hit in the face by 6ft 5ins Peter Kowalcyzk as she signed copies of her new book Dreams in London last Wednesday.

Lewis, who won the British television talent show in 2008 and has topped charts around the world, was signing copies of her autobiography, Dreams, at a store in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday when she was punched in the head.

Peter Kowalczyk is currently being examined in a psychiatric hospital after he was arrested at Wednesday’s event. Police have charged the south London man with assault. They said he was detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act.

According to The Sun, 29-year-old was spurred on by jealousy after watching the singer win The X Factor in 2006. His father Tomasz tells the publication he tried out for the program when auditions were held in London, but was rejected.

“He wants to be a singer. He went along and queued at (The) X Factor. How far he got with it? Nowhere.”

“Leona was due to go to Germany today for promo but that has now been cancelled,” her rep explained in a statement, adding, “Leona is obviously shocked after yesterday, but is OK.”

The three-time Grammy Award nominee suffered bruising to the side of her head and was “understandably badly shaken,” after “a guy came up and punched her to the side of the head,” Leona’s spokesperson said Wednesday.

The 24-year-old has been devastated by the assault from a 6ft 5in man “bucktoothed foreigner,” identified only as “Peter,” during a book signing event at Waterstone’s Bookstore in London’s upscale Piccadilly neighborhood.

The attacker was today being questioned by police on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. Investigators are looking into whether he has a history of mental health problems. Witnesses say the man suddenly lashed out after the “Bleeding Love” star signed his copy of her new autobiography, Dreams.

She reportedly screamed: “Oh my God,” as he caught her on the temple with a right hook. He is said to have shouted: “I love you,” as he hit her. Lewis, crying, is said to have screamed back: “I don’t love you.”

Well, who knew book signings could be so dangerous, huh?

“We were called to Waterstones Piccadilly Circus at 4:35pm to reports of an assault. It appears that a male has slapped a female at the location,” a spokesman for Scotland Yard told the BBC News this afternoon.

“He walked up there with the book, she signed it and as she looked up he just punched her,” an eyewitness told reporters.

“Suddenly the security all jumped on him and they were trying to pull him out and he was just laughing, he thought it was funny,” a second witness added.

Leona’s spokesman says the singer is “understandably badly shaken” after the attack.

“Leona was a victim of an unprovoked attack this afternoon at her book singing,” the star’s rep said in a statement issued just moments ago. “The police were called immediately and medical attention has been sought. Leona’s understandably badly shaken and apologizes to the fans she was unable to meet and complete signings for.”

Leona’s sophomore album, Echo, is due later this year.

What do you think of the cover?

Echo debuts in the U.S. on Nov. 17.

The “Bleeding Love” hitmaker, who has gone on to international superstardom since winning Simon Cowell’s British TV talent show The X Factor in 2006, is showing off her wild side by having a tattoo inked on the inside of her left wrist in tribute to her longtime boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa.

“It’s incredibly private and something that we both had done. It’s Hebrew letters and I’m thrilled with it. I can’t reveal what it is. Some things need to remain private for me.”

The British songstress gained millions of fans worldwide after her debut album Spirit topped the charts in 2007 with the help of her international hit single “Bleeding Love,” but Leona is convinced her upcoming LP Echo will “bomb” and she is working hard to afraid the sophomore jinx.

A source tells Britain’s Look Magazine: “Leona knows she’s going to have to work harder with Echo to equal, never mind better, the success of Spirit. She wouldn’t want to be a one-album wonder. She’s been heavily involved in the making of this album and there’s a detailed plan in place to make it a success.”

“Leona also knows she’s been in the US for a long time and she may have lost some of her UK fan base. There are plenty of reality TV stars who’ve been successful with their first album, but bombed with their second,” the source explained.

“The problem is that when Leona first appeared, there was no one else like her. But things are very different now. She has some serious competition and it’s preoccupying her entirely. It’s as if she can’t think of anything else.”

Echo, featuring the lead single “Happy,” is expected to debut later this year.

“Happy,” a power ballad, was co-written by Leona Lewis with writer/producer Ryan Tedder — who penned the X-Factor songbird’s 2008 breakout hit, “Bleeding Love.” The single hits radio September 21.

Listen To “Happy” By Leona Lewis

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