Chicago’s current Billy Flynn, Pop Idol contestant Darius Danesh (pictured), has extended his run in the hit musical, which has itself extended its booking period by two months to 22 April 2006 at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre (See News, 19 Oct 2005).

Danesh - who made his West End debut in the role of the slick city lawyer when he joined the current cast on 21 November 2005 - will stay on for an extra four weeks, until 11 February 2006.

Beverley Lyons And Cath Bennett, Daily Record 7 December 2005

SCOTS star Darius could have been Scotland's answer to Pavarotti after singing with the Scottish Opera.

The smooth crooner toured with the company as a child and was offered the chance to become a professional.

But the 25-year-old decided to go more mainstream - and stay rather more shapely - and enter Popstars rather than pursue a stage career.

Ironically, he's now working on the stage, starring in the hit musical Chicago in London's west end.

The singer said: "I had a crossroads to face. I was asked if I wanted to be trained as a serious opera singer.

"Instead I chose to go into a rock band and go to university to study English Literature."

Darius first joined Scottish Opera in 1990, when he was one of a dozen child actors appearing in The Trojans.

He toured throughout Scotland and the north of England, before finishing his run at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Darius said: "I have never spoken about this before. I played a peasant boy. I must have done okay because I was asked back, when my voice broke, to tour in Carmen."

In his second opera Darius, then 11, was one of a number of children who sang in the crowd scenes. Now, almost 15 years later, Darius has made his return to the stage as the youngest ever actor to play Billy Flynn in Chicago.

He said: "Traditionally, I have the voice of a baritone. I started out on the London stage and now I am here again. There is a sense of going full circle and for this I am really grateful."

Scottish Opera's director of external affairs Roberta Doyle believes Darius must have been very talented as a child to have won a role with the company. She said: "We get hundreds of applications for child roles, but the problem is there are very few operas with parts for children.

"Darius would have had to be a very committed and confident child actor to get a role in The Trojans.

"We at Scottish Opera are very proud of him and wish him every success."

Darius, who's had two hit albums and a No.1 single, is enjoying his Chicago stint at the Adelphi Theatre.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, he said: "I went for the audition and a week later I was rehearsing for 15 days.

"I've never had professional dance coaching before so some of the finest talent in the world have guided me gently, or not so gently, through it.

"It has been incredible." The Glasgow-born singer went on to quash rumours he is engaged to his girlfriend of two years, American actress Natasha Henstridge.

He said: "As soon as I was caught in a jewellers buying some expensive jewellery it turned into me saying I was getting married. She is an incredible woman so I don't have any complaints, but I am only 25.

"But now my surprise Christmas gift has been ruined."

Well done to Darius Danesh who's revealed he's got engaged.

The former Pop Idol contestant is geting hitched to Species actrss Natasha Henstridge, who he's been dating on and off for 18 months.

Darius told me: 'She's going to be my wife - isn't it great news?'

The Colourblind singer got down on one knee last week to pop the question. He first met Tash when she appeared on the video for his single Kinda Love in June 2004.

And now it seems like we might lose the Scot to Tinseltown because the couple are planning to live in the States when he finishes his stint as Billy Flynn in Chicago.

Daz said 'Natasha's children are settled in America so it's not fair to uproot them. Besides, Natasha's career is going so well over there and I can work from anywhere.'

LIFE couldn't get any better for Darius Danesh - he's starring in a hit West End musical, is in love with a Hollywood beauty and his dad has beaten cancer. The singer is flying high after winning the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in the London run of Chicago and falling for actress Natasha Henstridge.

And with his beloved father Booth in full remission from cancer, the ex-Pop Idol and Popstars contestant knows how lucky he is.

Darius, 25, from Glasgow, said: "Natasha is the most compassionate and passionate person I've ever met.

"She has the ability to make whoever she meets feel special.

"And I'm sometimes so blinded by her beauty within, I forget to step back and realise again how breath-takingly beautiful she is on the outside.'

Smitten He met the Species and Whole Nine Yards star last year - and set up home in LA with Natasha and her sons, Tristan, seven, and Asher, four, from a previous relationship.

Darius's romance with the Canadian ex-model bloomed when he asked her to appear in the video for his single Kinda Love last year.

Natasha, 31, who is starring in the hit US TV drama Commander In Chief, is equally smitten.

She said: "He's incredibly talented and dashingly good looking.

"But beyond all of that, we just understand each other on a spiritual level and we have the same set of moral values."

Darius, who is recording a new album, is thrilled with landing his stage role but added: "I'm sure my mobile phone bill will be sky-high and I'll miss Natasha and the boys every hour of every day