It's my sad duty to report Leona Lewis has split from her childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa.
The pair met when they were just 10 years old and have been together for more than a decade - but have decided the pressure of holding down a relationship with their work schedules is just too much.
My moles tell me Lou, who used to be an electrician before Leona hooked him up with a swish talent-scout job at Sony Music, became tired of the superstar's constant travelling and workload and decided it was best for them to part ways. As a final insult to Leona, 25, Lou didn't show up to watch her at London's O2 Arena this Wednesday - although he did catch an early show on the tour.
A source close to Leona reveals: "Things have been under pressure for ages between them and they've finally realised that things are not going to be able to progress. Leona's schedule means she's in the States a lot when Lou's in London and then when he goes out she's over here. Then there's the fact she's been totally immersed in preparing for her tour. They've barely spent any time together whatsoever.
"Not showing up on Wednesday was the final straw. She'll always treasure her time with Lou but she knows it's a relationship that's seen better times."
Being the ultimate professional, Leona was able to push on through with her performance on Friday night for 12,000 fans. She even managed to film the Friday night concert for a DVD to be released.
But a source reveals behind closed doors she's heartbroken at the idea of becoming single. "It's hitting her hard," my source explains. "She truly thought that she'd end up with Lou for life and imagined getting married and having babies. But it's just not meant to be. She's going to take a DESPITE her long time to get over this relationship ending."
Last year she told me: "One day we will get married I'm sure of it. But that's a long way down the line. We're so young still."
I guess all that's left to say is: "Gentlemen, start your engines... there's one beautifully talented superstar on the singles' market!
They were so good together.
