Cheryl Cole’s intensely-debated debut single is on course to become one of the highest selling tracks of the year.

The Girls Aloud star, 26, clocked up enormous first day sales yesterday after releasing Fight For This Love with a polarising performance on The X Factor on Sunday.

The song has now surpassed first day sales of Cole’s onetime protégé Alexandra Burke who broke records last week with her equally upbeat single Bad Boys.

She is now challenging Burke, who she mentored on the last series of The X Factor, for the fastest selling single of the year.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot said: “Her first days sales are just amazing and put her in pole position to top the Official Singles Chart on Sunday.

“Together with Alexandra Burke, she is likely to set the sales standard by which everyone will be judged for the rest of the year, in the run-up to Christmas."

A judge on the high-rating X Factor, Cole was accused of miming during some parts of her performance on Sunday but awarded lavish praise by the famously acerbic music mogul and show judge Simon Cowell.

"It's really going to pain me to have to say this but that was incredible," he said.

"That was an incredible routine, great performance and unfortunately you're going to be number one next week."

Cole, who was watched by her Girls Aloud bandmates, also pronounced herself delighted with the launch.

"I feel fantastic, I've really enjoyed myself,” she said.

“It's been a bit of a blur, it took me right back to when I started on Popstars: The Rivals."

Her energetic performance, along with an appearance by Whitney Houston, broke ratings records for the ITV show, which attracted almost 15 million viewers.

The trajectory of her first solo effort is bad news for Robbie Williams whose comeback has been buried by 'The X Factor effect'.

Last week, his first single in three years, Bodies, was beaten to No 1 by Burke and Cole is now likely to push him further down the charts.

His own appearance on The X Factor last week failed to ignite fans' enthusiasm after he gave a lacklustre performance, frequently stopping to chat to the audience.

The official music chart positions are announced on Sunday.

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