‘Popstars’ and ‘Pop Idol’ Alum Dead at 41

Pop star and stage actor Darius Campbell Danesh, who rose to fame after competing on Popstars and Pop Idol, has died. He was 41. Danesh was found dead in his Rochester, Minnesota apartment on Aug. 11, his family said. A cause of death has not been announced.

“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,” his family’s statement read, reports The Guardian. “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.”

Danesh was born on Aug. 19, 1980, in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Iranian father. In 2001, he competed on Popstars and reached the Pop Idol finals the following year. He famously turned down Simon Cowell’s offer to join his record label, and instead signed with producer Steve Lillywhite.

Although Danesh rejected Cowell’s contract, the America’s Got Talent judge shared an emotional statement on Tuesday. “I first saw Darius on television over 20 years ago and I got to know him really well,” Cowell said, reports BBC News. “He was charismatic, funny and just a great person to be with. His passing, for someone so young, is an absolute tragedy and my heart goes out to his family and friends.”

After Pop Idol, Danesh scored his first big hit with the single “Colourblind,” which topped the U.K. singles chart. His first album, Drive In, was also a hit and he wrote all 12 songs. He dedicated his second album, Live Twice, to his father, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer before making a miraculous recovery. Danesh later became a supporter of Cancer Research UK and other cancer charities. He published a memoir, Sink or Swim, in 2003.

In 2005, Danesh turned to the stage. In 2005, he played Billy Flynn in the West End production of Chicago, becoming the youngest actor to play the role since the show’s opening on Broadway in 1975. He also starred in West End productions of Guys and Dolls, Gone with the Wind, and Funny Girl. In 2010, he won the ITV1 talent show Popstar to Operastar. In 2011, he married Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge. They divorced in 2018.