Nina's Darius World

When More2Life asked the gorgeous Darius Danesh if stripping off for a glossy magazine would be a help or hinderance to his music career, his cheeky response was: "How much are you offering?"

Now, a 'serious' singer-songwriter, Darius is keen to rid himself of the image he acquired when he first hit the screens on the reality talent show, Popstars.

"Hit me baybeee one more (breathe in for the high note) tiiiiiimmmme!" he screeched in a voice not like Maraih Carey's glass-shattering soprano, and nothing like the warbles of Britney Spears that he was doing his best to reproduce. The judges' jaws dropped and that was the end of his stint on that show.

But, Darius bounced back from the public ridicule, lost the goatee, the 'gel overload' hair a la Ross Gellar from Friends, and turned up on Pop Idol. This time he came third. best of all, he stopped singing Britney!

More2Life caught up with him when he was came to Belfast to promote his second album, Live Twice, and he recealed all on life after rality TV and the devil in him!

After a wait of nearly two years following the release of his debut album Dive In, Darius is back in the charts with his new single Kinda Love and is glad he stuck to saying 'no thanks' to world famous pop manager SImon Cowell. "I was offered a record deal with Simon Cowell, but I turned it down to release my own music - music that was representative of me. I didn't want to go down the road of cover versions," he said.

More2Life then asked how the grumpy pop guru reacted to this apparent snub. Darius remained diplomatic: "Simon's a very astute businessman, we're on terms." Looking back, what does Darius think of his time on reality TV? "I feel so lucky to have been supported by the public and to have been given the opportunity to become a singer-songwriter. If there has been an audition called Singer-Songwriter Idol I would have auditioned for it, but there wasn't, which is why I entered Pop Idol."

Now signed to Mercury, the Scotsman has learned a lot about the record industry and, if he had the power, he would make a few serious changes to the business: "Seriously, I'd ensure that for every boy band or miming solo puppet that a record company signs, a grass-roots band like Keane or Maroon 5 and a singer liek David Gray or Dido is signed as well. Then, hopefully, we would have the balance between credible and commercial."

Despite Darius' outwardly happy demeanour, he admitted that his latest collection of songs was composed against a background of personal sadness. The 24-year-olds father was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year, and Darius dedicated the albums title-track to him.

"I didn't actually think that I would release this second album, as it was written with the underlying prospect of losing a loved one,2 he said. "I'm very proud of this album. I think it's intimate and honest. The album is a collection of the most personal songs I've recorded."

Grainne McCarry

"Yes, I Would go Topless....For Charity"

He's six-foot-something and a mightily sexy specimen and, noting the grooming team hovering in the background, More2Life had to ask:

"Darius - just how important is your image?"

"If you saw me the morning after the night before, I certainly don't look good," he laughs.

So, who does he admire in the charts then (for their artistic abilities, of course)?

"Honestly, there are so many girls that I think are attractive. If I was to have a girlfriend right now, it wouldn't be anyone in the music industry."

So what are you looking for in your ideal lady....

"I think a sense of humour, direct eye contact and also she muct express herself." In other words, laugh at his jokes, stare at him and tell him his music's great!

With his grandmother hailing from Ballymena, More2Life had to get his opinion on Northern Irish girls?

"I'm a sucker for the Northern Irish accent. It's the sexiest accent in a woman."

And so, on to the subject of stripping off... would he?

"I guarantee you that if I did that, the magazine would be left on the shelf! If I did go topless and it was for charity, then I suppose that would be okay."

Unfortunately, the More2Life fund for bored housewives doesn't count, so he's fully clothed on our front cover.

What can we say... we tried and failed!