The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word REINCARNATED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
R
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More clues leading to the result REINCARNATED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "given a new lease of life" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case given a new lease of life = reincarnated.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does REINCARNATED mean?
REINCARNATED verb- To be, or cause to be, reborn, especially in a different body or as a different species.