Darius Danesh, 41, Found Dead in Bed at His Apartment Home

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It’s just been revealed that the “Pop Idol” runner-up and West End Star Darius Campbell-Danesh unexpectedly passed away on Thursday, Aug. 11.

The singer, originally from Scotland, was found dead inside his apartment in the United States.

BBC quoted a statement from Danesh’s family, which read: “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.”

Danesh rose to fame in 2001 with his rendition of the Britney Spears chart-topper “Hit Me Baby One More Time” on one of the U.K.’s singing competition shows, “Pop Stars.” The following year he also appeared on the first season of British “Americon Idol” prototype “Pop Idol,” finishing third behind Will Young and Gareth Gates.

He went on to release a single, “Colourblind,” which reached the number one spot in the U.K. charts, while a follow-up album, “Dive In,” was a Top 10 hit.

Danesh went on to appear in West End shows including “Chicago,” in which he appeared alongside America Ferrera, “Funny Girl,” alongside Sheridan Smith, and “Guys and Dolls.”

The singer was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother, Avril Campbell, and an Iranian father, Booth Danesh.

RIP Darius Campbell-Danesh (19 August 1980 – 11 August 2022)

UPDATE: In mid-September, a Minnesota medical examiner announced that Danesh died from inhaling chloroethane and suffocating. The medical examiner ruled that the death was accidental. Danesh’s family said in a statement that he had taken chloroethane for chronic pain that he suffered from since a 2010 car crash in Spain that left him with a broken neck.