Gary Barlow has declared this year's X Factor finalists the “best ever” as 16-year-old Ella Henderson and chimney sweep Kye Sones easily progressed to the live shows.

Barlow was pleased with the selection of all the judges, saying: “This year we really got the crème de la crème with our finalists and it was difficult for all of us to choose our three acts.”

He continued: “The level of talent has increased this year and I think it is the best finalist line-up ever.”

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“The level of talent has increased this year”: Gary Barlow and his X-Factor colleagues have selected their candidates for this year’s live shows

THE BOYS – Mentor: Nicole Scherzinger

WHO: James Arthur, 24, from Middlesbrough.

Did you know? After running away from home, he often slept outdoors and says music was his coping mechanism.

Why he thinks he should win: “I will bring versatility, passion and pure emotion to the competition and when given the chance to showcase my songwriting skills, I will hopefully show exactly why I should win the competition.”

What Nicole says: “He is so brilliant, he is a modern poet. He is really something special. He is a real artist and I am very happy to work with him.”

James Arthur: “I will bring versatility, passion and pure emotion to the competition”

WHO: Rylan Clark, 23, from Essex.

Did you know? When he reached boot camp, he was stripped naked and dragged through a bar before passing out in a hotel elevator.

Why he thinks he should win: “I'm going to perform on The X Factor that no contestant has ever done before. I want to be the first dance artist to come out of the show. I just hope people pick up the phone.”

What Nicole says: “He's full of spikes and glitter, we need diva music and powerful diva anthems for him. He would definitely have his own audience.”

Rylan Clark: “I want to be the first dance artist to come out of this show. I hope people pick up the phone.”

WHO: Jahmene Douglas, 22, from Swindon.

Did you know? Before wowing the judges at his audition in London with his rendition of Etta James’ “At Last,” he worked at Asda.

Why he thinks he should win: “I am not confident in any way, but I express myself through singing because speaking is not my strong point at all.”

What Nicole says: “He has an incredible voice – he needs a lot of support and love and I'm definitely ready to give it to him.”

Jahmene Douglas: “Singing is my way of expressing myself because speaking is not my strong point at all.”

THE GIRLS – Mentor: Tulisa Contostavlos

WHO: Jade Ellis, 25, from London.

Did you know? She worked as a bicycle mechanic and has a six-year-old daughter named Cayden.

Why she thinks she should win: “There is a gap in the market for young British female urban singers. From the beginning I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and grow.”

What Tulisa says: “She's amazing – when you hear a voice like that, you just can't let go.”

Jade Ellis: “From the beginning, I have taken every opportunity to learn more about myself as an artist and I will continue to take steps to improve and develop myself.”

WHO: Ella Henderson, 16, from Grimsby.

Did you know? Grammy-winning singer Cher recently expressed her joy over Ella's cover of her song “Believe” on Twitter.

Why she thinks she should win: “I believe I have a lot to give and I am fully dedicated to my music. I know that through this show I will grow as an artist and my confidence will grow every week.”

What Tulisa says: “She's so incredible. She just radiates this innocence when she sings and loses herself in the moment. It's beautiful, really.”

Ella Henderson: “I will grow as an artist and my confidence will grow every week.”

WHO: Lucy Spraggan, 20, from Sheffield.

Did you know? When she's not performing in shows, she sells baby portraits to earn some extra money. She used to work as a demolition expert.

Why she thinks she should win: “I want the public to see how hard I have worked, to share my experiences with them, to entertain them and to succeed in the music industry. If I could do that by winning this year's show, I would be over the moon.”

What Tulisa says: “I love her more than anything. As a mentor, you like the music your artists play and what they sing, but it's rare that you can be a fan of the contestants, and I'm a fan of Lucy.”

Lucy Spraggan: “I want the public to see how hard I have worked. I want to share my experiences with the public, entertain them and be successful in the music industry.”

OVER 28 YEARS – Mentor: Gary Barlow

WHO: Melanie Masson, 44, from North London.

Did you know? She has collaborated with the likes of Kasabian, Stereophonics, Fatboy Slim and Happy Mondays, released a single in 2007 and signed a deal with industry heavyweight EMI.

Why she thinks she should win: “It would be so positive to show that no matter where you are in your life, what you've done before or how old you are, you can still achieve your goals, achieve your dreams, be taken seriously and continue to be relevant.”

What Gary says: “She is an incredible talent. She is a true soul singer.”

Melanie Masson: “It would be so positive to show that you can still achieve your goals, realize your dreams, be taken seriously and still be relevant, no matter where you are in life.”

WHO: Carolynne Poole, 32, from Huddersfield.

Did you know? Her dreams of fame were shattered when Louis Walsh sent her home after the Judge's House stage of The X Factor in 2011.

Why she thinks she should win: “I think The X Factor needs to realise that country is more than just line dancing and cowboy boots!! It would be so great to show the world that the great country voices don't just come from America!”

What Gary says: “She has an incredible voice, she knows who she is and where she is going, and to top it all off, she is beautiful.”

Carolynne Poole: “I think The X Factor needs to realise that country isn’t just line dancing and cowboy boots!!”

WHO: Kye Sones, 30, from London.

Did you know? He makes his living sweeping chimneys for other people.

Why he thinks he should win: “If I won The X Factor, it would be a victory for anyone who has never given up on anything. It would show people that you should never give up on your dreams, no matter how many setbacks you experience.”

What Gary says: “I'm looking forward to learning from him because I think he's someone who knows a lot about music and I think he'll be a great candidate.”

He's through: Kye Sones has made it to the live performances

THE GROUPS – Mentor: Louis Walsh

WHO: GMD3 – Greg, 18, Dan, 19, Mickey, 18 – from Windsor.

Did you know? They met at school and enjoy watching the Inbetweeners, going to the gym and playing football.

Why they believe they should win: “We hope to show people something new and exciting that they haven’t seen before in this great show.”

What Louis says: “I love them. These guys can sing, they have a great harmony sound, they are nice guys, they work hard and they tick all the boxes.”

Cheeky guys: GMD3 will undoubtedly have many female fans on the show

WHO: MK1 – Charlotte Rundle, 19, and Simeon Dixon, 24 – from London.

Did you know? Before their trip to Las Vegas to see Judges Houses, Simeon broke his ankle and Charlie had to push him around in a wheelchair the whole trip. Now his cast has been removed and Simeon is getting physical therapy to make sure he is in top shape for the first live show.

Why they believe they should win: “The thought of being the first duo to win is really exciting. We're also a niche band that hopefully works in our current market.”

What Louis says: “They are so current and relevant to today's charts and Charlie has an amazing, original and brilliant voice.”

Double trouble: Duo MK1 also takes part in the next stage of the competition

WHO: Union J – Jamie Hamblett (JJ), 24, George Shelley, 19, Josh Cuthbert, 20, and Jaymi Hensley, 22 – from Ascot, Bristol, Luton and Newmarket.

Did you know? Jaymi is a part-time singing and dance teacher, Josh works in IT sales, JJ works with horses and George works part-time in a café.

Why they believe they should win: “We are new and fresh. We haven't been together long, but I hope the public sees the potential in us. We are four normal, down-to-earth guys who love to sing.”

What Louis says: “The guys have a great young image, the girls will love them, they have everything – great energy, looks and the singing to match.”

They are overjoyed: The boy band Union J jumped for joy when they found out that they had made it through

And of course they are all on Twitter…

The young

James Arthur @jamesarthur23

Rylan Clark @RylanClark

Jahmene Douglas @JahmeneDouglas

The girls

Jade Ellis @jadaface101

Ella Henderson @ella_henderson

Lucy Spraggan @lspraggan

Those over 28 years old

Melanie Masson @MelanieMasson1

Carolynne Poole @CarolynnePoole

Kye Sones @Kyesones1

The groups

GMD3 @GMD3music

MK1 @mk1official

Union J @UnionJworld

Bookmakers’ odds

Ella Henderson 5/4

James Arthur 6/1

Carolynne Poole 12/1

GMD3 14/1

Melanie Masson20/1

Christopher Maloney 28/1

Amy Mottram 40/1

Adam Burridge 50/1

Jahmene Douglas 6/1

Kynes Sones 8/1

Lucy Spraggan12/1

Jade Ellis 20/1

Union J 20/1

MK1 33/1

Ryan Clark 40/1

Times Red 50/1 (William Hill)

VIDEO: Tears at X Factor. The selection of the final 12 was more than just emotional…

The post Ella Henderson, chimney sweep Kye Sones and single mom Jade Ellis make it appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

It is a journey of self-discovery that puts participants in the spotlight and showered with the attention of a horde of adoring fans.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Kye Sones has ended his relationship with American beauty editor Halle Carlson.

The couple have apparently split ahead of 30-year-old chimney sweep Kye's debut on The X Factor live shows this weekend.

X Factor Kye Sones Halle Carlson Twitter appearance: Kye sang for judge Gary Barlow and guest mentor Cheryl Cole in the judges' houses

A source told The Sun: “Halle supported him all the way to bootcamp. But Kye believes X Factor will change his life forever and that it has given him the push he needed to end the relationship.”

The handsome star was reportedly mobbed by women at trendy London bar Whiskey Mist last week and received a lot of attention from fans of the show.

Cheryl and Gary: The duo chose Kye, Melanie and Carolynne to take part in the live shows after their performances in the judges' houses

The singer performed in the competition's house round in front of judge Gary Barlow and guest mentor Cheryl Cole.

Kye flirted with Cheryl during filming, but his biggest mistake is said to have been when he told the Geordie singer that he had a girlfriend.

The source added: “If he had a second chance with Cheryl, he would take it.”

A spokesperson for X Factor confirmed the couple's split to The Sun: “Kye and Halle have separated. They remain good friends.”

Kye recently told MailOnline that he feels confident as a contestant over 28, explaining that contestants in this category are more confident in both their style and their music.

“I know I've had every worst haircut in the world. You stick with what works for you. So when you say, 'How about this?' you're more likely to say, 'No, I've done that before and it didn't really work out.'”

“So you know who you are as a person and that goes for music as well. So that's something we're all very comfortable with. We all know who we're going to be in the future,” he added.

Kye, who is close friends with TV presenter Fearne Cotton, wowed the audience at his first audition with an impressive rendition of guest judge Rita Ora's single RIP.

He will appear in the first live show of The X Factor 2012 this Saturday alongside the 11 other finalists and one wildcard contestant.

Handsome: Kye's ex Halle Carlson reportedly stood by him during the judges' boot camp and house rounds. Friends: Gary and Kye have become friends and will be heading to the live shows this Saturday to begin the competition.

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Kye Sones makes her way into the hearts of the X-Factor judges …

From Kimberley Dadds

Released: 5:18 PM EDT, Aug 25, 2012 | Updated: 5:21 PM EDT, Aug 25, 2012

He makes a living sweeping chimneys for other people.

But one thing is certain – after tonight, chimney sweep Kye Sones will climb new heights from his main job.

The 29-year-old from Middlesex should become one of the favorites to win this series after his outstanding performance in the audition tonight.

Moving into the favorites: Chimney sweep Kye Sones wowed all four X-Factor judges when he performed Rita Ora’s RIP

Ryan, who is said to be TV host Fearne Cotton’s best friend, took the stage to do a version of the track RIP. to be sung by guest juror Rita Ora

And his performance certainly impressed the pale blond star.

After receiving standing ovations from all four jurors and everyone in the audience, Rita said to him: “You made RIP sound so cool. You’re a superstar … you’re a real superstar. ‘

Singing to win: At the end of his performance, the 29-year-old received a standing ovation from the jury and the entire audience

She’s a fan: The guest judge for the evening, Rita Ora, loved Kye’s rendition of her track and called him a “superstar”

In his job: Kye hid his talents while working as a chimney sweep to make a living

The other jurors were equally impressed. Gary Barlow told him, “Not only did we find a great singer, we also found an artist.”

Tulisa also admitted she could listen to him all day while Rita then joked with Gary, Tulisa and Louis Walsh that they would fight for him when it came to the mentoring phase of the competition.

But it wasn’t the only outstanding performance of the evening.

New favorite? James Arthur, who used to sleep homeless, made a splash on today’s show with his flawless performance of Tulsas Young

Proud Parents: James’ mother and father, who divorced at a young age, put their differences aside to support their son in an outstanding audition

Dubbed the new Plan B, James Arthur, who survived a difficult childhood of homelessness, sets Twitter on fire after his formidable version of Tulisa’s song Young.

He nervously went on stage with his guitar to perform the track, leaving the jury speechless while fans came to social networking sites to comment on how overwhelmed they were with his performance.

Guitar Skills: He performed an acoustic version of the dance track, much to Tulisa’s delight

It came after a long day for Gary, Louis, Tulisa and fourth judge Nicole Scherzinger, who were decidedly unimpressed by the rest of the Newcastle auditors.

But after seeing James’ talent, all four podium participants were satisfied enough to be amazed by the 24-year-old.

Shocked at how he managed to give her dance track his style, Tulisa said to the others as he happily walked off the stage, “My song is an Ibiza dance track and he did!”

Which led Nicole Scherzinger to reply: “I want to write a song and see what it does with it.”

The former Pussycat Dolls star previously told him as he finished his performance: ‘I understand why your mother and father put their differences aside. I came to this show because I was looking for an artist who would inspire me and that’s what you did today. ‘

Thumbs up! Tulisa was overwhelmed by his performance and raved about his talents afterwards

Dreams Come True: James couldn’t believe the reaction he got after showing off his singing and rap talent

“You inspired me and that’s because you sat on this stage and exposed your soul to us.”

Arthur overcame a tough childhood, homelessness and foster care to appear on stage before the judges.

Although his days on the park bench are over, James admitted that his bed is “not the Ritz.”

James became homeless due to a difficult family life after his parents separated when he was young.

Growing up, James was “out of joint” at school and “sometimes slept hard” after being suspended and expelled.

Humorous: Lucy Spraggan’s witty lyrics and musical skills left the jury speechless and the audience standing on their feet

Huge fans! The judges were amazed at her unique style, while Twitter fans dubbed her the new Kate Nash

He then volunteered to be in foster care and used the music to cope with his situation.

At today’s audition in Newcastle, his parents Shirley, father Neil, put their differences aside for their son.

To give James their full support during his audition, the two had spoken for the first time in 22 years.

Shirley said, “There are times when I feel like I haven’t done enough, I’ve done enough. He put a lot of his feelings and emotions and fears into his music. ‘

Overwhelmed: Lucy was amazed at the reaction after just rehearsing in front of a small group of friends and family

Another artist who made a splash on today’s show armed with a guitar was 20-year-old Lucy Spraggan.

She showed off her skills by performing a song she wrote herself … Last night, about waking up to ‘Beer Fear’ and saying ‘anyone can do something with it’.

The singer-songwriter from Sheffield won over the audience with the humorous lyrics and then burst into tears at the words of praise.

Even guest judge Melanie Brown managed to drop her creepy exterior when she was overwhelmed by awe of the wannabe.

She said to her, “I absolutely loved it, you are brilliant. Be confident you have something brilliant about you” before adding, “Love it, love it, love it, love it.”

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