Leanne took a keen interest in finance journalism and completed a postgraduate certificate in Economics Journalism from Rhodes University. She was a nominee for the Sanlam Business Journalist of the Year awards in 2002. Voted one of South Africa's Most Awesome Women of 2005 in Cosmopolitan magazine and won the People Magazine Crystal Award for Best Female TV Presenter in South Africa for three years running. Leanne’s Keynote is about what she went through and how she has prevailed. She also won the 2005 Sunday Times/ELLE TV Style award for Most Stylish Female Actuality, News Host or Continuity Presenter. She has interviewed numerous high-profile personalities, including Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Branson and a host of celebrities like Seal, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Jane Seymour and Ronan Keating. In addition to her media career, Leanne also supports many charities, doing work for the Topsy Foundation and Child Welfare, amongst others. She is also a 46664 Ambassador, working closely with HIV/AIDS initiatives.