Nina's Darius World

Infamously sharp-tongued Cowell branded Darius 'corny' and the Scots hopeful returned the insult when he bravely rejected the multi-millionaire record producer's offer of a million-pound contract.

Instead, Darius sent a track he had written himself to legendary U2 producer Steve Lillywhite in the hope of securing a deal on his own terms.

But when Darius and Simon met up a few weeks ago in Los Angeles they had a good laugh about what went on during Pop Idol.

Darius said: "I met Simon recently in LA and we did have a wee laugh about those days. He is a wonderful man and I think he is given some flak even he doesn't deserve.

"For all the cutting remarks he sometimes makes, Simon is a very honest man and I'm now glad to be able to call him a friend.

"He has told me I have done well since the Pop Idol days and has forgiven me for turning down the record contract he offered me after the show.

"At one dinner we attended together he even admitted to me he never thought Colour blind would be a hit.

"But, being Simon, he couldn't quite resist having the last word. As he was leaving he came up to me and said he still thought I would have sold more records if I had signed with him.

"That's just him though, he's such a character and it's great to be able to hang out with him now in such different circumstances."

Nobody, not even Cowell, can doubt Glasgow boy Darius's staying power.

After being ridiculed by the nation and a panel of judges on Popstars in 2001 he defiantly declared he wouldn't give up his hopes of a career in music.

Even if there did seem to be universal agreement that his singing was cheesy, his ponytail and goatee were sleazy and his plea for his fellow contestants to feel the "love in the room" was vomit-inducing. In fact, the hopeful even boldly declared he would have aNo.1 single and hit album no matter what they thought. And just a year later he nearly proved them all wrong when he struggled through to the semi-finals on Pop Idol despite Simon's incessant slagging.

He was only beaten into third place by the huge popularity of Will Young and Gareth Gates.

Then in the summer of 2003 Darius's unswerving belief finally paid off when his first self-penned single Colourblind beat Britney Spears and George Michael to reach the top of the charts and his first album Dive went platinum.

He said: "One of the most wonderful things about being Scottish is you are taught from an early age that if you get knocked down you just stand up, brush yourself down and have another go. There is a certain tenacity which comes from being Scottish that really doesn't exist in any other country I have been to.

"I feel very proud of that and am glad it has served me in my career in such a difficult business."

However, just as he was becoming established as a star, Darius' dad Booth was diagnosed with cancer.

IT WAS a bleak period for the singer but his dad battled the disease with the same fortitude that kept his son striving for success and has now made a full recovery.

Darius said: "My dad really is in flying form now.

"He is in full health and is putting the finishing touches to a book he was inspired to write when he recovered from what was said to be terminal cancer.

"In reality we did lose him twice when his heart stopped on two separate occasions. And when I wrote the song Live Twice I had no idea he was going to get better so it was an incredibly tough time.

"Now, though, he has a clean bill of health and a lot of that has to do with his own positive thinking. He never believed his diagnosis was going to be the end.

"He really is an inspiration to me and is the man I respect most in the world.

"If anything goes wrong now I just take a little pause and remember how lucky I am to get a second chance to have a dad.

"It really has put my life into perspective and changed the way I view everything from my career to world events.

"I now know how important family is and how crucial it is to be happy and healthy."

Now 26, Darius seems to be happier than ever. He has homes in London and Los Angeles and says he is madly in love with his long-term girlfriend, actress Natasha Henstridge.

The singer said: "Our relationship is fantastic and I am so lucky to be very much in love."

His career is also flying high once again.

Last year he became the youngest performer to take on the role of Billy Flynn in the West End production of Chicago.

He is also in the middle of writing his third album and about to star as Sky Masterton in the UK tour of musical smash hit Guys And Dolls which kicks off at the Edinburgh Playhouse next month.

He said: "I am in rehearsals for Guys And Dolls at the moment and loving it because the stakes are so high.

"The dancing is incredibly full on. In fact the whole show is like a rollercoaster ride of new acting theory, new choreography and all kinds of things I have never done before.

"It is a real challenge to me as a performer and there is definitely no room for mistakes because some of the moves are so difficult they have to be done perfectly.

"But it never feels like work because it is always so exciting and so much fun."

By taking on the role of Sky Masterton, Darius is following in the footsteps of fellow Scot Ewan McGregor.

But the former reality TV star finds that prospect thrilling rather than daunting.

He said: "I was very lucky to see Ewan perform twice in Guys And Dolls and he filled the role with such incredible energy and such a definable character that I was filled with enthusiasm.

"I felt inspired as a performer which I then took back to Chicago with me. But I also thought I would love to have a go at playing Sky and now I am it's a huge honour.

"It is such a riotous cocktail of acting, singing and dancing challenges it must be one of the most exciting roles a performer can tackle."

And of course one of the best things for Darius about kicking off the tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse is that he is not only back in his beloved Scotland, he is also back in his favourite venue.

He said: "These days I live wherever I am but my heart is always in Scotland. I just spent a day at home and it was the best day of my year so far.

"There is no feeling like it and the moment I land at Glasgow Airport I start to relax because it is where I feel at home.

"But I am also really excited about being back at the Playhouse because it honestly is my favourite venue.

"Not only have I played there twice before as a performer, I remember seeing Tracy Chapman there as a teenager and felt like I was transported to another world."

Guys And Dolls will be at Edinburgh Playhouse between Tuesday, June 12, and Saturday, June 23, 2007.

'Simon told me I've done well since Pop Idol and he forgave me for turning down the record offer'