Inside Lady Leshurr's fall from grace after being axed by the BBC and Loose Women as she makes TV comeback on Celeb SAS

The Irish Sun

3 days ago

LADY Leshurr once appeared to have the career of dreams.
From being a viral music star and well-respected rapper to becoming TV's surprisingly most in-demand star with every programme desperate to sign her up.
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Lady Leshurr once appeared to have the career of dreams
Credit: RDF Television
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The rapper was once TV's most in-demand star
Credit: Rex
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She's now preparing to make a comback on Celebrity SAS after a court case 'ruined' her career
Credit: Pete Dadds / Channel 4
But for the 37-year-old, her career took a nosedive when she was accused of a vicious assault on her ex-girlfriend which saw a lengthy legal battle endure.
As she faced the prospect of being convincted for the crime, Lady Leshurr, whose real name is Melesha O'Garro, lost out on all of her income.
Her record deal disappeared and both the BBC and ITV dropped her from their payroll but as the star prepares to make a TV comeback on Celebrity SAS after being acquitted of the crime she was accused of, The Sun takes a look back at her rise to the top and her sudden fall from grace.
Musical Beginnings
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The star was achieving tens of millions of views on her rap hits in the late 2010s
Credit: Alamy
Lady Leshurr began to make waves on the Birmingham underground music scene with her rap tracks in the early 2010s.
She began to release mixtapes that caught the attention of music heavyweights as her following began to grow.
However, it wasn't until 2015 when she gained mainstream recognition with her Queen's Speech freestyles.
The tracks were a unique look on UK rap music and often featured comedic phrases and humorous lines and saw Leshurr rack up tens of millions of views.
The fourth instalment of the franchise became her biggest hit after going viral within 24 hours of its release and it saw the star land a major record deal with Sony Music.
She went on to release her first official single with Wiley which became an instant hit and she soon picked up the MOBO Award for Best Female Act and toured with Nicki Minaj.
TV Superstar
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The star was a popular Loose Women panellist
Credit: ITV
Off the back of her rising star power, she caught the attention of the TV world and she soon found her diary was filling up with countless big-money offers to join a slew of different shows.
Lady Leshurr is crowned as the winner of The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up To Cancer
She took part in the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef in 2020 as well as joining ITV's Maya Jama led panel show, Don't Hate The Playaz, for four series.
At the same time, she was handed a prestigious contract to become the face of beauty brand Olay, following in the footsteps of Twiggy and Sarah Hyland.
In 2021 she was crowned the winner of Channel 4's only edition of The Celebrity Circle in which she catfished as rapper Big Narstie to win the title beating stars including Denise Van Outen, Duncan James, Charlotte Crosby and Saffron Barker.
The BBC then hand-picked her to host her own music show on BBC Radio 1Xtra presenting on Saturday afternoons as well as choosing her to be a music mentor on its latest talent show Rock Till We Drop alongside Spandau Ballet legend, Martin Kemp.
Desperate for a piece of the action, ITV booked the star to take part in Dancing on Ice and soon handed her a spot on the Loose Women panel.
Star Arrested
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The star was led away by cops after being accused of an early house assault
Whilst she appeared to have every dream gig under the sun, and with the promise of brand new music on the way, Lady Leshurr found her world and career turned upside down when she was arrested for assault.
In October 2022, the rapper and songwriter was seen being led away by cops in handcuffs at 5am following a fight outside a house in Walthamstow, East London.
Witnesses said neighbours were woken up by a 'a screaming match' between Lady Leshurr and two other women.
Cops said a 27-year-old woman was found with injuries but did not need hospital treatment.
Video footage released at the time showed the rapper, dressed in a white sports bra and wearing a baseball cap, being put in cuffs and led to a police van by two cops.
She was charged a day later on two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The star soon found herself axed from both her BBC Radio 1Xtra show and Loose Women as well as having her social media endorsements pulled and no backing in the furthering of her music career.
Trial Hell
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The star lost out on all career opportunities during her trial
Credit: BBC
A court went on to be told how Lady Leshurr had been accused of attacking her ex-partner Sidnee Hussein as well as Chante Boyea.
However, a judge later cleared her and found her not guilty on two counts of assault.
She told the court Chante had attacked her first before instructing her her Belgian Malinois security dog Toby as a "weapon" to injure her.
Following the conclusion of the trial, the star spoke out on Instagram to confirm she had not made a single penny since being dropped from every work obligation she had been signed up to do.
She said: "For the past year I've been battling a court case from people that accused me of stalking, harassing, and biting them but I was the victim.
"I was attacked and bitten by a dog and made out to be the aggressor."
She also stressed she felt her career had been "ruined regardless of the outcome".
SAS Return
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She is now hoping to prove herself on SAS
Credit: Pete Dadds / Channel 4
Almost two years on from the judge's ruling, the star is now making a comeback on Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Discussing why she signed up for the show, she said: 'I think this course is not only going to make me become the best version of myself, but it's going to make me the strongest I've ever been.
"It's going to make me realise so much about myself that I've kept in. It's going to push, motivate and inspire me. It's really going to make or break me.
"But regardless, it's going to teach me a lesson about myself that I can definitely work on.'
'Doing this course is going to make me regain my strength, my understanding, who I am as a person and just unpack all the trauma that is on my chest…
"I'm hoping to leave this course feeling empowered, feeling the strongest I've ever felt, a beast. I want to walk into the gym the next day, like I own this place.'