X Factor's Kye Sones looks extremely different 12 years after appearance on ITV show

Sporting a clean cut appearance with his hair slicked back, former contestant looked unrecognisable.

Kye, 41, appeared on the show 12 years ago and it seems a lot has changed as he has now ditched his rocker boy-band look for a more sophisticated one. Kye was seen posing next to his pal, presenter . The former Radio 1 presenter took to Instagram to wish the singer a happy birthday.

The former reality TV star's bond with Fearne is a strong one as he is godfather to her son Rex. She captioned the post: "Happy birthday @kyesones. Here's to another year of making your dreams come true, travelling to new places (literally and metaphorically), and making incredible music. We love you to the moon Kyesta."

Kye, who was on the show along with , ended up in eighth place but that did little to deter him from embarking on a career in the music industry. Following the show, the star went on to be nominated for a BRIT Award and became the vocal performer for the Belgian DJ Lost Frequencias.

Kye "made history" when he took to the stage of the Tomorrowland with the producer as the first live band to play at the main stage. Although he has not been on our screens for a while, he has been fast becoming a sought after artist, known for his "soulful vocals and song writing", across the .

He has collaborated with a number of well-known names including KC Lights, Ben Nicky, Pat Lok, Andrew Rayel and written songs for globally renowned DJ David Guetta and Becky Hill. And apart from Fearne, Kye has a long list of celebrity friends including , Michelle Heaton, presenter and fashion guru Gok Wan.

The talent show, that was created by , has been the subject of discussion following the tragic death of Liam Payne, last week. The show and the music industry has recently come under fire for not looking after the mental and emotional health of the artists. After news emerged of Liam's passing, Robbie Williams who has also battled with his mental health similar to Liam, paid tribute to the star and his family.

Taking to social media, he wrote: "How to make sense of the Liam Payne tragedy? Obviously, my first feelings towards his passing were like everyone else. Shock, sadness and confusion. And to be honest as I write these words that's where I still am."

He continued: "I met the boys on The X Factor and ''mentored'' them. I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely. I enjoyed the light hearted piss takery and Thought about all the times I was that cheeky pisstaker with the Popstars that had gone before me when I was in . Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I'm fond of them all. Liam's trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did."

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