Will Young has paid tribute to his former Pop Idol co-star Darius Campbell Danesh, who died earlier this week.
Danesh, who was living in the US, was found dead in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota on Tuesday (16 August). He was 41.
Before having a successful career in musical theatre, Danesh was mostly known for his appearances on Popstars and Pop Idol, finishing in third place in the latter programme, behind Young and Gareth Gates.
On Friday (19 August), Young posted an old picture of him and Danesh from the time of filming and shared a heartfelt message about his former colleague’s passing.
“For the past few days, my thoughts have been with Darius's family and will continue to be so,” Young began. “I found this picture a while ago taken during Pop Idol.
“If there was ever an example of not giving up on your dreams then Darius is top of the pile. Driven, courageous and gentle. My love goes to his family at this time.”
Others who have publicly shared their condolences for Danesh include Simon Cowell, who infamously faced off with him on the TV show, and actor Gerard Butler.
In a social media post, Butler said he was “devastated” by the loss, calling Danesh a “brother in arms” and a “dear friend”.
