Nina's Darius World

His cancer-stricken father Booth is now, miraculously, in remission, he has a new single out and is optimistic 2005 is the year the rest of Europe will discover him. And he told us all about it...

Darius, first of all - what's the latest with your father?

He is great, thanks, we are still so happy with his miracle. Honestly, it is the best news ever.

Your new single is called Live Twice, the same as your album. Tell us about it.

When Dad was diagnosed last February, I immediately decided to stop working. My priority - as it was for the rest of the family - was for my dad.

You realise in situations like that that life is short. Tomorrow might be the last. Priorities change. That is what Live Twice is about.

It centres on the prospect of losing someone close to you. It doesn't just mean a family member dying, it can also be splitting up with your lover. But there is optimism in the song, and that is so important. I hope people can take some solace from the song.

Last month doctors delivered the news that your father was in remission.

What do you put that down to? Dad is Persian and had a lot of faith in alternative therapies. It is in his upbringing. Well, Dad used therapies that people in this part of the world are now beginning to understand.

It is all about having an open mind. We believe that helped him towards this miracle. Oh my God, it was amazing. I mean just wonderful, fantastic, brilliant... all of the above.

Was Live Twice the album more difficult to produce than the first album?

I think writing it was a very cathartic process for me, what with Dad's situation. But I think it was much, much more difficult second time round. In fact, without a doubt. The songs I wrote for my first album were much more prolific. But I also know this time it's some of my best work.

So what is different from last time?

Well, a man called Steve Lillywhite helped me enormously when I did the first album, but then he went on to do other things and what you find is that you need a mentor - I know I did. Without a mentor, I'm like a ship without a rudder.

So having a song-writing mentor is a must?

Absolutely. Everybody needs one. I hung out with Seal - a total legend of mine - in LA and he just went on about Trevor Horn.

He was Seal's mentor and was responsible for classics such as Killer and Kiss From A Rose.

Look at Robbie Williams. He needed Guy Chambers, didn't he? On Live Twice I fortunately found another great producer in Steve Lipsom, who worked with Annie Lennox in the past.

You famously and publicly chased fame after you were rejected on Pop Idol. Has fame been all you wanted it to be?

I'm a very lucky boy. Yes, it has been amazing - it means I can continue with my music, which is all I have ever wanted to do. But importantly for me, I can use my fame to do work for charities. I have recently done lots of things for charities like MacMillan (a cancer charity) and that has been so gratifying. Fame has allowed me to write a book that got into the top ten.

But has the Pop Idol reality show thing been hard to shake off? Is there a stigma attached to it?

Maybe it has been harder in some ways. But then, I supported Shakira once in Paris in front of 40,000 people, which was a dream. None of them knew me at the beginning, but by the end 40,000 people were cheering along to my music.

They had no preconceptions, they just knew the music - and they liked it. In places like India it's the same. They have no pre-conceived ideas of me on a telly show because they didn't get Pop Idol over there. When they like my music that's enormously gratifying.

Would you ever go on reality TV again?

Hah! They asked me to go on I'm A Celebrity but I turned it down. I would love to do it, actually, but just with a load of mates, as living in the jungle for a couple of weeks would be fun. We could then film it and watch it ourselves when we got back. What I wouldn't want is 12 million people watching me do it.

As for Big Brother; there is no way on earth that I'd go on it. There isn't enough money for me to do it.

So what for Darius in 2005 - a go at America maybe?

Europe yes, America no. I am going to really go for it in Europe, but if Robbie (Williams) can't do it in America then I'm not going to try. It just seems too much.

There's a saying that you should learn from your mistakes, but it is even better to learn from other people's. I just want to entertain people for years to come and do my thing. I'll be happy if that's what happens.

JEM MAIDMENT