Former Pop Idol contestant Darius Campbell Danesh has been found dead in his US apartment.
The singer and theatre star, 41, was found in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 with the cause of his death currently remaining unknown. A family statement reads: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Darius Campbell Danesh.
"Darius was found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners’ office. The local police department have confirmed that there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances.
"The cause of his sudden death is unknown at this stage while medical examinations continue. We ask that you kindly respect our wishes for privacy at this time whilst we come to terms with the tragic loss of our son and brother.”
The 41-year-old Scottish singer rose to fame in 2001 when he appeared on the ITV show Popstars while also appearing on the first Pop Idol, which was won by Will Young. He later paved a successful career path, appearing in Chicago as Billy Flynn for two runs of the production.
He lived in the US where he sparked a relationship with Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, whose films include the sci-fi hit Species. The pair married in 2011 but were divorced a few years later.
In 2010 he revealed to Hello! magazine that he was in a car crash which resulted in a broken neck. He was a passenger in a Porsche that hit a wall at 70mph after skidding on oil during a trip to Spain.
After landing in third place in Pop Idol in 2010, he went on to win the first series of ITV's Popstar to Operastar contest, beating the likes of Bernie Nolan of the Nolan sisters in the final. He later landed a major opera role in a new production of Carmen at London's O2 Arena.
Darius starred opposite Ugly Betty star America Ferrera in the musical set in prohibition-era Chicago, and said: “He’s the consummate businessman and a wonderful guy and there’s a lot of Simon Cowell in Billy Flynn in terms of the way he approaches things and I recognise that in terms of the character.”
He credited Cowell with persuading him to take on the role, stating: "I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had and all the opportunities that it opened up and to be able to call Simon Cowell a friend and to be able to have dinner with him.”
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