Following the passing of Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh, Pop Idol judges Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman have both paid tribute to the singer and actor, who was found dead in his home in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Waterman appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning to praise Campbell Danesh, who appeared in the first Pop Idol season back in 2002. Speaking to hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Robert Rinder, Waterman revealed the pair had met just before the pandemic and were planning to work together on Campbell Danesh’s music.
He said: “I met him a week before lockdown and we were talking about me going to work with him in the States to mentor him because he wanted to get back into music. Darius wanted to do too much. He had too much talent. I know that sounds silly but sometimes you have to focus on what you really really want.”
Waterman went on to compare the Pop Idol star to Michael Bublé. “Darius could have gone on to be bigger than Michael Bublé because he’d got that talent,” he said.
“We became great friends because I did champion him. He was the most lovely person. He never called me Pete. He always called me Peter. He was so polite, and so talented. At 41, my heart goes out to his family because it’s terrible losing a sibling. He was just brilliant.
“The word gentleman is overused but not in Darius’s case. So quiet, so polite, so gentle, I guess he was the perfect person. So gentle. No cross words. He didn’t get angry.”
Pop Idol judge Chapman echoed the sentiment with a tribute on Twitter, saying: “There will only ever be one Darius Campbell Danesh. A true gent with a kind soul & mischievous tinkle in his eye. From that eventful first audition on Popstars to him kindly inviting me to see him perform on the West End stage Thoughts are with his family at this sad time [sic]”
There will only ever be one Darius Campbell Danesh.
— Nicki Chapman (@Nicki_Chapman) August 16, 2022
A true gent with a kind soul & mischievous tinkle in his eye. From that eventful first audition on Popstars to him kindly inviting me to see him perform on the West End stage
Thoughts are with his family at this sad time pic.twitter.com/HaIlEUM11l