Actor Gerard Butler was among those paying respect to Pop Idol star Darius Danesh at his funeral in Glasgow today (25 August).
According to a report in The Scottish Sun, the service was attended by around 100 mourners. During the sombre procession, a lone piper played the song “Caledonia”.
The Ugly Truth and 300 star Butler, 51, recently said that he had been “devastated” by news of his friend’s death. Danesh rose to fame on UK talent shows Popstars and Pop Idol. He died at his home in the US aged 41 on 11 August.
Last week Butler paid tribute to his “brother in arms” by sharing a photo on Instagram of the pair smiling.
He wrote in the caption: “I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms. My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus.”
He added: “To those lucky enough to have met Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life.”
The comedian Omid Djalili also commented, writing on Twitter earlier today: “Funeral today in Bearsden, Glasgow for Darius Campbell Danesh. Such a lovely talented man gone way too soon. People were always taken aback by how much of a true gentleman he was. God bless his soul. Rest in peace my brother.”
Danesh first earned fans for his theatrical cover of Britney Spears’s “Baby One More Time” on 2001 talent show Popstars.
In 2002, Danesh came third on Pop Idol behind Will Young and Gareth Gates. His memorable moments on the show included renditions of Tom Jones’s hit “It’s Not Unusual” and Atomic Kitten’s “Whole Again”. The final was watched by more than 13 million viewers.
Gates also shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, remembering Danesh as “one of the most beautiful, intelligent and gentle souls I was lucky enough to know, a soul that lit up every room”.
Having turned down a record deal from judge Simon Cowell, Danesh nevertheless reached Number One in the UK after Pop Idol ended with his track “Colourblind”. His album Dive In reached the Top 10.
Danesh later became a West End star, appearing in musicals such as Chicago and the Olivier Award-winning Guys and Dolls.
