Nina's Darius World

As one of our top pop stars, with a No 1 single and a double platinum album under his belt, Darius Danesh is used to adoring female fans. But even he was fazed at working with so many stunning girls when he guest-starred in Hollyoaks.

"Something about acting with the Hollyoaks girls brought me out in a sweat," laughs Darius 22, who sings his new single Girl in the Moon, in Friday's episode of the C4 soap when he is the headline act at a graduation ball. "Maybe it was the fact there were so many beautiful girls in one room...And they were all looking at me!

"The Hollyoaks girls are amazingly attractive and because it was a ball they were all wearing revealing dresses. It was hard to concentrate.

"We had as much of a blast offset as we did filming. It was like being a student all over again. I was at Edinburgh University before I did Pop Idol, so I remember my own graduation ball. It brought back many happy memories, especially being surrounded by so many familiar faces.

He is referring, in particular, to an old friend from his student days, Elize du Toit, better known as posh blonde sexbomb Izzy.

"We weren't on the same course, but we were great mates," says Darius. "Elize was good fun and up for anything. Me and my friends used to organise dinner parties and it was her job to bring all her pretty friends. So much has happened since we graduated, we had a lot to catch up on.

"I've met some very sexy women since Pop idol. One of my favourites is Lorraine Kelly. I'm amzed how, as a mum, she gerts up at the crack of dawn every day and is so bubbly, fresh and energetic. I've also had dinner with Catherine Zeta Jones and she's even more dazzling in the flesh than on screen."

Recently Darius has only had eyes for model Jacqui Ainsley. The pair, who were seen snogging at a recent showbiz bash in London, met when she appeared in a video for his No 1 single Colourblind, which has now sold more than 400,000 copies.

"I've been single for a few years now and enjoyed it," he says. "You can have great fun on tour, but I'm not into one-night-stands - never have been. Sex should be something special between two people. It's good to be with someone you love.

"Jacqui's great, but I can't tell you any more about her at the moment because it's early days. I've also been so busy I've not had time to be with her myself."

One thing Darius will make time for is Pop Idol, which is back for a second series later this summer. He didn't win but he has the show to thank for turning him into a star.

"Pop Idol was an amazing experience," he says "I have no regrets about taking part in it - even after the disaster I had with Popstars."

Darius's success since then has been meteoric. His debut album, Dive-In, has gone double platinum and The Girl in the Moon is set to be another huge hit. His current tour is a sell-out, and in July he's off to miami to work on a second album. It seems the crooner who was once ridiculed for being "cheesy" ha sput most of his Reality TV rivals in the shade.

"I still see Will Young and Gareth Gates, although it's been a while," he says. "We all get on really well. There might be a bit of rivalry, but it's all tongue-in-cheek.

Best Guest Star

Hollyoaks
C4 6.30 pm

The Youth soap achieves a major coup tonight, as the guest act at the Graduation Ball turns out to be none other than Pop Idol heartthrob Darius. Normally cocksure Tony is in awe - he's a huge fan and takes a while before he plucks up the courage to ask for an autograph. Chloe has no such fear.