Darius Campbell Danesh: Former Pop Idol contestant and stage star found dead at 41 | News about Ant-Man & Art

Former Pop Idol contestant and stage star Darius Campbell Danesh has died aged 41, his family has announced.

The singer was found dead in his US apartment in Minnesota on August 11, but his cause of death remains unknown.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Darius Campbell Danesh,” an announcement was made by his family.

“The local police department has confirmed that there are no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances. The cause of his sudden death has not been determined at this stage, while medical examinations are done. still continue.

“We ask that you please respect our wishes for privacy at this time while we accept the tragic loss of our son and brother.”

Born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Iranian father, Campbell Danesh was the eldest of three boys and attended Bearsden Primary School before studying English literature and philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. .

He had his first rise to fame on ITV’s Popstars in 2001 and went on to appear on the first Pop Idol won by Will Young.

His debut single, Colourblind, was released in July 2002 and went straight to number one in the charts.

The Scottish singer-songwriter went on to have a successful career appearing in West End shows such as Chicago, in which he played Billy Flynn, Guys And Dolls and Gone With The Wind.

Talking about his role as Flynn, the actor previously said he based the character’s role on his former mentor and Pop Idol judge, Simon Cowell.

Mr. Campbell Danesh starred opposite Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera star in the musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago, and said: “He’s a good businessman and a great guy and has a lot to offer. a lot of Simon Cowell in Billy Flynn about how he approaches things and I recognize that in terms of the character.”

He credits Mr Cowell for convincing him to take on the role in the first place, saying he was “extremely grateful” for the opportunities he has been given and “can call Simon Cowell a friend”.

After finishing third in Pop Idol, he won the first series of ITV’s Popstar To Operastar competition in 2010, defeating Nolan Sisters’ Bernie Nolan in the tight final.

A few months after his win, which featured Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and Mexican-born tenor Rolando Villazon as judges, he landed his first major opera role in the production of Carmen at the Theater. O2 tournament in London, playing the main role of singer Escamillo.

That same year, Mr. Campbell Danesh spoke with Hello! magazine about a car accident in which he broke his neck.

He was a passenger in a Porsche when it hit a wall at 70 km/h in Spain after slipping on oil.

In 2011, he married Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, known for her role in the science fiction film Species, in Santa Barbara, California.

However, the couple divorced a few years later.

After both his father and mother were diagnosed with cancer and recovered, he became an advocate for several charities, including Cancer Research UK.