"TWINKLY-EYED pop charmer Darius (above - sorry peeps nice-ish b & w piccie but no scanner) could be on his way to Manchester any day soon, he tells me.

I caught up with the smooth Scottish singer for a chat about his forthcoming second album. And he tells me he can't wait to visit his fans in the city for a gig sometime before Christmas. Apparently he is eager to see his supporters after what has been a tough year for the former Pop Idol star.

Seven months ago, he tells me he put his singing career on hold after his dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. However, with his family's support, he has carried on to pen an album of songs inspired by the experience. Now, after being given only two months to live, his dad is feeling better.

"it was a big shock to the family. It still is", Darius says. " But my dad has been able to get better and this album has been written with that appreciation in mind. I wrote a song to play to my dad in hospital, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him but he told me to release the song - he wanted to see me achieve my dream. It's been a labour of love."

Darius's new album, Live Twice, is released next month along with new single Kinda Love. In the meantime, I hear he is busy adjusting back to the limelight. "I'm quite excited", he says, "I performed at the Royal Albert Hall the other week with Tom Jones. I've come a long way since Pop Idol!"

By John Dingwall Daily Record 28 September 2004

month.The album is the follow-up to Darius's multi-platinum debut album Dive In.

Booth beamed: 'It is wonderful to be able to see Darius perform live again. You cannot know what this means to me.

'Darius advised me not to come tonight, but I am glad that I did. I have had a wonderful time. I am so proud of my son.'

AVRIL, clearly delighted to have her husband back in Scotland, said: 'It's great to have Booth home.

'He is putting us all in the shade. He looks fantastic. It is wonderful to have him here.'

Booth will stay in Scotland to recuperate but not at his home in Bearsden, near Glasgow.

Instead, he has gone into hiding to give himself the best chance of much needed rest and recuperation. He explained:'There are too many people who want to see me and to talk to me and who will turn up.

'I am staying elsewhere on the advice of the doctors, who have told me that I need complete rest.'

A nervous Darius spent the minutes before his show checking that his dad had got into the concert's hospitality area safely in what turned out to be an emotional Danesh family affair. The 24-year-old singer said: 'I got Cyrus and mum to go and pick him up.

'My dad is good,touch wood,but I told him not to come. The concert was held outdoors, which is not ideal for his health.'

His voice cracking with emotion, Darius added: 'Everyone is touched by cancer in some way. Every family is, but people don't talk about it.

'When they do, they don't talk about the emotions involved. As a nation, we need to express ourselves more.

'It was very special to come back to Scotland and to have my parents in the crowd - but you wouldn't recognise my dad. Even I didn't recognise him when I saw him like that two weeks ago.

'He has oscillated between ageing 20 years to now looking younger than he did when he was diagnosed. I can't explain it. He has a tenacity that gets him through life.

'He has a cheeky youthful spirit. The man didn't have a hair on his body and the doctors said that's it.

'Yet it has grown back even thicker than before.' Darius - who researched cancer treatment thoroughly following a February prognosis whichDARIUS Danesh's sick dad made a gruelling, 400-mile journey to Scotland to see his son in concert.

Dr Booth Danesh, who is suffering from cancer, was allowed to fly home for the emotional reunion by doctors at London's Royal Marsden.

Booth immediately headed to Glasgow's Candleriggs to catch Darius headline the Merchant City music festival.The spirited 62year-old surgeon has been told he can remain in Scotland for six weeks before returning to the hospital for a further spell of treatment in November.

After his Scots pop star son's lively performance, Booth said: 'The hospital have told me I can come home until November. That says a great deal about my recovery.'

Sitting backstage with a glint in his eye and a welcoming smile, Booth had ignored Darius's plea and doctors' orders that he stay away from the show to conserve his energy.

Making light of the lymphatic cancer which spread to his spine and bone marrow following the diagnosis in February, Booth removed his woollen hat and tapped his head - revealing one of the effects of the gruelling chemotherapy.

Although virtually bald, the finest trace of wispy dark hair has begun to grow back, to his obvious delight.

Even more impressive is the full beard which he strokes proudly, before explaining: 'Just a month ago I had no hair and no eyebrows. I lost it all, but the beard has grown in. I don't know how,but it has the doctors flummoxed.

'I am a different man. I have changed so much in these past few months, you cannot imagine.

'The doctors cannot believe the way things are going. What is happening with me goes beyond their understanding. It's a miracle. I am a miracle.' HIS star son had returned to Glasgow to headline the city's Merchant City music festival and Booth watched from the side of stage with his arm wrapped around his lovely wife Avril.

At their side, nine-year old Cyrus watched his big brother sing a selection of his hits including Rushes, Colourblind and Incredible.

It was Darius's first live show to promote his forthcoming album Live Twice and a single Kinda Love which are released nextgave Booth just weeks to live - believes his dad's fighting spirit has helped in his battle against the disease.

He said: ' The concert visit has exhausted him.I knew that would be the result of him coming out tonight.

'I told him not to but how can you tell your father what not to do?

'Now I really have to go to be with him.'

With that Darius, himself displaying enormous inner strength, excuses himself and rushes off to be by his father's side.

We caught up with cheesy crooner Darius at the premier of Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow.

He said "I`ve just finished working on my new album so right now I`m taking a break from writing."

"This is a much more mature sound it`s in the vein of George Michael or Seal. I`ve written all the songs. Would I do a duet with Will Young? I`m just focussed on being a solo artist developing my own career."

Alas as Darius bent down to take if from him, Jay Kay grabbed the wrist of a fully-clothed Darius, and pulled him in a graceful arc over his head into the pool. As he emerged soaking wet all he could say was: "Hi, I'm Darius," to Natasha who wordlessly handed him a towel. Don't you just hate when that happens at lunch?

Darius Danesh

He's partial to a spot of Sex And The City and reckons Simon Cowell's the best on the box.

Favourite TV Show: The X Factor. Simon Cowell is still the most entertaining man on television. I think they'll find someone who'll have a big hit, but whether that someone is still here in years to come is a different story.

TV pin-up: Mischa Barton from The OC. Why do I like her? Isn't it obvious? TV Snack: I like knocking up a nice Caesar salad. What makes you switch off? All those home improvement programmes. They are just so boring. I'd much rather pull out my DVDs of Sex And the City Series Four to watch when they're on.

Also Spotted
Darius Danesh skim-reading magazines - including heat - but leaving empty-handed at the Tesco Metro store in Hammersmith, west London.

I was wondering why we hadnt heard so much from Darius recently, and it turns out theres a very sad reason.

His dad is fighting cancer and the tight knit Danesh family have been trying to get him better. Darius put his career on hold and was prepared to give up altogether, but his dad has urged him to release new material, claiming that seeing his son on Top of the Pops was the best tonic.

Booth Danesh is fiercely proud of all his children and supported Darius even when he was a bit of a laughing stock thanks to that infamous rendition of aHit Me Baby One More Time on the original Pop Idol.

Darius has come a long way since then and has chalked up a lot of hits, but obviously his da is the main thing on his mind right now.

I wish the whole family well and I hope Booth continues to recover.

WITH his hunky physique and sexy gaze, pop star Darius Danesh is certainly not hard on the eye.

He can even sing a bit. But there's a lot more than that to the Edinburgh University-educated pop idol.

This week we found out how much more. Wondering why he's been out of the headlines recently?

It turns out Darius' father Booth was diagnosed with terminal lymphatic cancer back in February.

Booth courageously chose to fight the disease using alternative treatments. Darius decided to put his pop career on hold to help his father in the fight and search for a cure.

At the time doctors gave Danesh Snr only weeks to live.

Eight months later, he appears to be making a remarkable recovery.

'My dad's a walking miracle' says Darius.

I bet Booth Danesh thinks the son who swapped superstardom to help him battle for his life is a little bit special too.

More than 20 bands are taking part in this year's Merchant City Festival in Glasgow this weekend. Headliners at the five day event include Darius, who will be performing alongside local talent as part of the Festival's programme of film, comedy and street events. The Glasgow born singer is looking forward to performing in front of a home crowd again.

He said: "It's a very warm feeling and it's something that is very special to me because when I come home there's no other audience that I like to perform to than the Glasgow audience. I mean that in a very specific way because my tour last year was certainly crowned by a homecoming gig in Glasgow."

DES O'CONNOR this week became a dad, aged 72, and declared he was 'thrilled to bits'. Well, pardon me for bringing Leonard Cohen records to the party. But what a stupid old goat. His poor son, Adam, will be learning how to have a bath on his own just as his father can't climb out of his any more. This is the direct result of a life in showbiz, where everyone is too scared to tell you something is a bad idea. (See also - J-Lo's entire career.) Des' irresponsible attitude was thrown into sharp focus by singer Darius Danesh talking about his surgeon father, Booth, in Thursday's Daily Record.

Booth, 62, has cancer, and Darius talked movingly about his father's sacrifices for his son and his own determination to enjoy time with his father. For most of us who had dismissed Darius as a hunk of processed cheese before he re-emerged to become the best thing in Pop Idol, it was a powerful story.

And it made me think how proud I was of my own dad, or how my Scottish friends' fathers had given so much to shape them into the men they are today. 'My dad is a walking miracle,' says 24-year-old Darius.

Meanwhile, if Adam O'Connor gets to 24, and Des is still walking, that'll be a miracle.

POP star Darius Danesh is to perform at a rundown miners’ welfare club in the Lothians.

The Glaswegian singer has played gigs in numerous exotic and glamorous locations around the world since hitting the big time through reality TV shows Pop Stars and Pop Idol.

His first single, Colour Blind, shot to number one and the accompanying album sold more than a million copies.

But next Thursday he will come down to earth with a bump when he plays the Fauldhouse Miners Welfare Club in West Lothian.

The singer will star in a sell-out community fundraiser organised by BBC Radio Scotland. Let’s Do the Show Right, presented by Brian Burnett, is being held in aid of Bathgate Amateur Dramatic Society, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year.

Radio producer Jo De Silva said: "The idea behind Let’s Do the Show Right is to try and get a celeb to perform somewhere they would never normally visit, never mind play. His agent says he loves the concept and can’t wait to play in Fauldhouse."

Leanne McGovern, 19, from Fauldhouse, said: "I just can’t believe it. We’ve never had anybody famous here - no-one ever comes to Fauldhouse unless you really have to."

Darius proved a real winner on stage and off at Sunday's Concert at the Course. The Pop Idol star was besieged by delighted fans during the afternoon and accommodated everyone with autographs and photographs while also providing Press, Radio and TV with interviews. Darius stated before leaving Northern Ireland how much he had enjoyed his visit to the province and thanked fans for their support and attendance.

Floor manager, Leanne Johnston, 31, said: 'He was getting his hair cut along with some of his family and he decided to help out. He was joking around and started answering calls because we were so busy, luckily no one realised who it was.

'If he gives up the music business he can always get a job as a receptionist with us.'

Darius's second album is due out in October.

Pop idol sensation Darius Danesh was at Down Royal racecourse yesterday to take part in a sing along with new girl band 411

He took time out of his busy schedule to call in to check out the form of some of Prokick's "Lady Killers" ahead of their event in October

Darius met up with Bill Murray and some of the "Lady Killers" who will be taking part in Europe's first ever female only fight card next month.

He was so impressed at the Prokick stable and said he hopes to be back in Belfast for the show which takes place at the Holiday Inn, Belfast on 30th October.

"We're all very excited about the possibility of Darius attending our Lady-Killers event - but no more than my girl fighters" said Murray. "I thought my girls were tough but when they all met the man with the X factor, their legs turned to jelly - even battle harden Irish champion Lydia Braniff and top Prokick female coach Gail Hagan were all KO'd with his looks"

Chart stars Natasha Bedingfield and Darius are to headline a FREE concert for more than 1,500 teen- agers in Grimsby.

The Grimsby Telegraph is organising the Bright Start concert for youngsters who achieved their personal targets in the summer GCSE exams. In association with Viking FM and Grimsby Auditorium, this newspaper is staging the mega bash to say a big "well done" to the hundreds of youngsters who succeed across our area.

Tickets will be distributed in late October and the concert will be held on Monday, November 15 at the Auditorium - by invitation only.

To get an invite is simple. There is a form on page four of our 28-page Bright Start special inside today.

Did you do well in your GCSEs this year - achieving the majority of your personal targets?

If the answer is yes, then complete the form and send it to us.

Free tickets will be posted out following a detailed check with your named school.

But hurry, it will be first come, first served!

Viking FM breakfast show DJs Foxy and Tom will host the event, from 7pm until 10pm, and there will be plenty of surprises for those youngsters invited.

Stars of the show will be Natasha Bedingfield, whose number one hit has only just been knocked off the top spot, and Darius.

They will be joined by new bands Rooster and Freefaller. Both tipped for the top, they have received rave reviews over the last few weeks.

Local companies are also getting involved as they help to sponsor the event and education establishments, like Grimsby Institute, are also weighing in.

Revealing the concert today, Telegraph editor Michelle Lalor said she hoped to make this concert an annual "celebration of success" for the many hundreds of youngsters who tried hard to achieve their personal targets.

"This is a free concert for youngsters who have worked hard to achieve," she said. "They may not necessarily have got straight As, but what they have done is achieved their targets and they should feel proud.

"We wanted to stage something that said well done to them.''

Tom, of Foxy and Tom fame, said: "It's going to be great fun," while Grimsby Auditorium marketing manager Sharon Daulton added: "We're delighted to be supporting such a fantastic event."

Full details plus a major GCSE round-up inside your 28-page special FREE with your Telegraph today.

FORMER Pop Idol star Darius says he'll be more nervous performing at today's Mardi Gras in Cardiff as he has to impress his Welsh cousin.

The 24-year-old will attempt to wow the audience with three songs after nearly a year's absence from the charts.

Darius will sing his new single Kinda Love, an exclusive track from his second album Live Twice and his most famous hit Colourblind.

"Hopefully I will bring the weather with me and it will be a good day," said the Scottish singer.

"I'm looking forward to it and hope it goes down well because my cousin will be in the audience."

After working with former Annie Lennox producer Steve Lipson for 11 months on his new material he is very pleased with the results.

"I hope people will like it and I am really looking forward to presenting my new material to people and seeing what the reaction is."

He is also keen to tour again after a set of smaller gigs last year. "I am really looking forward to performing with my band again. Last year the tours were great as they were smaller and more intimate but this should start building up for a whole new tour."

But although he may have replaced his goatee and ponytail during his last comeback with a clean-shaven look, don't expect a radical change in Darius this time round.

"I think as you get older you tend to be much more comfortable with how you are and what you look like," he said.

"Three years ago I was worried about how it might look but now I just wear what is comfortable.

"I love the styles of David Beckham and Jude Law but I haven't been taking tips from anyone."

Darius, who performed with Blue at the Galpharm Stadium in July, was in town to record an interview with local radio station Home 107.9FM.

Darius was conducting the interview to promote his new single, Kinda Love and new album, Live Twice.

The interview will go out on the breakfast show, presented by Ricky Durkin, next week.

Ricky, who presents his show between 6am and 10am, said: "He came back to Huddersfield to promote his single but also to catch up and to say thanks to the town, because he enjoyed his recent concert here."