X Issue chimney sweep singer Kye Sones splits up along with his girlfriend Halle Carlson

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.