Ashley Leitao
Encyclopedia
Ashley Leitão was the ninth-place finisher on the third season of the reality show Canadian Idol
. Born in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Ashley moved to Portugal
at the age of six. Her main heritage is Portuguese. Presently, she resides in Toronto
, Ontario
and works at the Abercrombie & Fitch
store in the Eaton Centre
. Performing in the first group of the Top 32, Ashley performed the song "Colors of the Wind", which convinced viewers to vote her into the next stage of the competition. She got the second highest number of votes that night, after Daryl Brunt
.
On the July 27 episode, it was revealed that Ashley was a member of the "Bottom 3", along with Melissa O'Neil
and Josh Palmer. Judge Jake Gold
made the observation that all three of them were from Western Canada, and insinuated that regional voting might have been at play. Ashley had the lowest number of votes, and after giving a tearful goodbye to Canada, she performed a farewell rendition of "Sir Duke".
with fellow former Season 3 contestants Casey LeBlanc
and Amber Fleury
. Their first single, entitled "A Little Bit Closer", was released to radio on June 15, 2006. She has also recorded a duet with Elvis Stojko
, a former world champion Canadian figure skater.
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
. Born in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ashley moved to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
at the age of six. Her main heritage is Portuguese. Presently, she resides in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and works at the Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
store in the Eaton Centre
Eaton Centre
Eaton Centre is a name associated with shopping malls in Canada, originating with Eaton's, one of Canada's largest department store chains at the time that these malls were developed. Eaton's partnered with development companies throughout the 1970s and 1980s to develop downtown shopping malls in...
. Performing in the first group of the Top 32, Ashley performed the song "Colors of the Wind", which convinced viewers to vote her into the next stage of the competition. She got the second highest number of votes that night, after Daryl Brunt
Daryl Brunt
Daryl Milton Byron Brunt is a Sudbury, Ontario resident and was contestant on the third season of the hit reality show Canadian Idol. He began his high school career in 2002 as a vocal major at Sudbury Secondary School and left the vocal program to became a drama major in his third year...
.
Canadian Idol
Songs that Ashley performed during the season included:- Top 32: "Colours of the Wind" (Vanessa WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
) - Top 10: "Let It Rain" (Amanda MarshallAmanda MarshallAmanda Meta Marshall is a Canadian pop-rock singer.She grew up in Toronto in a biracial family to a White Canadian father and a Black Trinidadian mother...
) - Top 9: "Sir DukeSir Duke"Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S...
" (Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
)
On the July 27 episode, it was revealed that Ashley was a member of the "Bottom 3", along with Melissa O'Neil
Melissa O'Neil
Melissa Crystal O'Neil is a Canadian singer who was the winner of the third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. She was the first female winner and is the second youngest idol winner in the world, with the youngest being 2004 Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan...
and Josh Palmer. Judge Jake Gold
Jake Gold
Jake Gold is an American-born Canadian musician manager. He was a judge on the Canadian Idol television program. In addition to Idol participants, he has managed popular Canadian artists like The Tragically Hip and The Watchmen. His management company, The Management Trust, currently works with a...
made the observation that all three of them were from Western Canada, and insinuated that regional voting might have been at play. Ashley had the lowest number of votes, and after giving a tearful goodbye to Canada, she performed a farewell rendition of "Sir Duke".
Post Idol
Leitão has formed a group named BraidedBraided
Braided is a musical group consisting of Casey LeBlanc, Ashley Leitao, and Amber Fleury, who all competed on the third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. They are the third music group to come from an Idol show in the world, second being Young Divas from Australia and first being Feminnem from Croatia...
with fellow former Season 3 contestants Casey LeBlanc
Casey LeBlanc
Cassandra Beth "Casey" LeBlanc was a contestant on the 2005 edition of the popular reality television show Canadian Idol. The eldest daughter of Constance and Leo LeBlanc, she is from Nackawic, New Brunswick...
and Amber Fleury
Amber Fleury
Amber Fleury was the eighth-place finisher in the third season of Canadian Idol, which aired during the summer of 2005. A native of Roblin, Manitoba, Amber now calls Calgary, Alberta home, where she is a paralegal.-Canadian Idol:...
. Their first single, entitled "A Little Bit Closer", was released to radio on June 15, 2006. She has also recorded a duet with Elvis Stojko
Elvis Stojko
Elvis Stojko, MSC, MSM is a Canadian figure skater. He is a three-time World champion , two-time Olympic silver medalist , and seven-time Canadian champion ....
, a former world champion Canadian figure skater.