Darius Danesh death: Rylan Clark and Lorraine Kelly lead tributes after Pop Idol star dies aged 41

Singer and actor is being remembered as ‘funny and kind and very talented’

Rylan Clark and Lorraine Kelly are among the first stars to pay tribute to Darius Danesh after the singer and actor who rose to fame on Popstars and Pop Idol died at the age of 41.

The Scottish star’s family confirmed on Tuesday (16 August) that Danesh had died on 11 August. He was found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Reacting to the news on Twitter, TV presenter Rylan Clark posted a love-heart emoji with the words: “Proper sad about Darius.”

ITV broadcaster Lorraine Kelly wrote: “This is really sad. Thoughts with his family and friends and everyone who loved him.

“A really good bloke – funny and kind and very talented.”

Comedian Shappi Khorsandi posted: “DARIUS! Oh lord how sad! I loved him…I ADORED that he was half Iranian made me proud. God life is unfathamable. So bloody sad.”

Liberty X’s Michelle Heaton, referring to Danesh’s performance of Britney Spears’s “Baby One More Time” on Popstars, added: “So sad … thoughts with Darius family right now x always our Britney.”

Unforgotten star Sanjeev Bhaskar tweeted: “‘Sad news of Darius’s shockingly untimely passing. He was a guest on The Kumars and couldn’t have been a nicer, warmer guest with a great sense of self deprecation.”

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 include his 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 later that year with his track “Colourblind”. His album Dive In reached the top 10.

He became a West End star, appearing in musicals such as Chicago and the Oliver Award-winning Guys and Dolls.