Nina's Darius World

We just can't keep up with Darius' love life these days. One minute he's supposedly seeing Hollywood glamour-puss Natasha Hendtridge of Species fame, the next he's "Riding it" with Geri Halliwell.

Just what are we to believe, eh? Well, we gossip queens here at Star couldn't wait to get to the bottom of all this tittle tattle, so we arranged to meet up with the towering hunk to find out once and for all what's been going on between him and the spicy ginger star.

When we meet, Darius, 24, is in great spirits. He's still beaming like a Cheshire Cat about the wonderful news that his dad Booth is now, after treatment, in remission from cancer. Good news, for a man who had been told that he had just six months to live.

But could some of his joy be linked to a romance with Ms Halliwell we wonder? We caught up with him and chatted about love, life, cheating and er, being transsexual!

Right Darius. What is really going on with you and Geri? The world wants to know.

"Me and Geri? Well, I guess the tabloids would love it to think we were this big couple, but we have simply formed a lovely friendship."

Please! Do you really expect us to believe that? We weren't born yesterday you know.

"Do you really see us as a couple? I mean, before we met today, what did you think? Did you seriously think that it was possible?"

Who knows, Darius? Who knows what to believe?

"But what do you believe? You must have a gut instinct about it."

Well, go on Darius, you tell us…

"Look, you know how these things work. I mean, last ear, it was reported that I flew to New York and proposed to a Canadian singer. But the last time I was in New York was when I was 16. I'd not even met the girl, she was trying to get publicity for her record - which, incidentally, bombed."

"I thought 'wow'. Sometimes I read these things in the paper and think 'oh it's nice that these people are together', but then realise you cannot believe everything you read."

So, what's the truth?

"The truth is that I'm not seeing Geri in that way. Truly"

But is Geri your type?

"To be honest, I don't think many men could handle Geri Halliwell. Why? Because she is unique. She's very outspoken but she's amazing company."

But isn't that an attractive quality?

"Look. If I'm being really honest, it's hard for me to even imagine being in a relationship at a time when all my love and attention is on my family."

"It's difficult to think about a serious relationship when every spare second is spent phoning my mother of rather. Right now I wouldn't even consider anything serious."

But now your dad's on the mend, you'll be thinking about the future…

"Exactly, now I'm through all that I can look forward to the rest of the year and see what's round the corner."

It was reported that Geri turned up at the La Dolce Vita ball with you last month even though she wasn't invited. What was the real story?

"All I will say is, don't believe everything you read. Things aren't always as they seem. At the end of the day, Geri invited me to join her at her table. Her table, with names on her chairs, ao all this stuff about her not being invited is just rubbish."

She invited you to the party? So let's get this straight. You're just friends then. No romance.

"Exactly. No romance."

And you've never shared so much as a cheeky smooch?

"No."

But we saw you kissing at the party.

"Really? But that's just a kiss between two friends."

Okay, have you seen her boobs?

"No."

Would you like to?

"No. No. No. It's like asking, would you like to see your sister naked? No! Do you know what I mean?"

But she's so famous, aren't you even curious to have a peep?

"No. Honestly."

So are you the kind of pals who hang out?

"We grab a sandwich, we have coffee…That's all."

No slumber parties watching Pretty Woman then?

"Er, no. Sorry to disappoint you."

But you both must realise that the pair of you will attract the press if you're seen out together. Do you not think that you are in some way to blame for this attention?

"If I'm being totally honest…Look, I have a record coming out this week. Let's just say it helps…"

Are you saying that it's a publicity stunt?

"Of course not. Look, cards on the table - we're not seeing each other. I don't have a romantic thing with Geri. But I could, if I wanted to, say, 'Yeah I'm dating her, she's the love of my life.' And we'd be in the papers and it would give me publicity for my record and she's so discreet, she wouldn't say anything. Do you know what? That's what some people do."

But can men and women truly ever be "just friends"?

"Actually, I have more female friends than male friends. I like the fact that women are more creative, and emotional and expressive. I enjoy female company."

What do you do with your female pals that you can't do with guys?

"Everything. What I do with my male friends, I do with my female friends also. We go out drinking and hit the town. And it's easier to dance with your female friends than it is with guys. When a bunch of men go out dancing, all they do is stand there in a random male dominant territorial circle, which is very odd."

So will 2005 be the year for love?

"I'm a single man right now, but I'm sure Cupid has got something planned. I'm young and at the start of my career."

Have you broken any hearts?

"I believe that I have, but I didn't realise at the time. But I broke up with a girl that I knew because I couldn't be the boyfriend I wanted to be for her. I wanted to be a good boyfriend, I wanted to put her at the centre of my life, but I couldn't because of my career so I ended it. It hurt. And the hurt stayed with me. I didn't realise that she was hurting, too."

So how do you decide to choose a career over a relationship?

"I'm a baby in this business and I'd be a fool to turn down any opportunities. Who knows what's around the corner."

Well, Nadia Almada's looking for a tall, dark hunk. You tick all the right boxes.

"Yeah, but I think she ticks all the boxes down at G-A-Y, because she's something of a gay icon."

If you ever found out that your girlfriend was a transsexual, how would you react?

"Funny you should say that…me and a friend were in Italy recently and he was approached by a woman who was quite obviously a transsexual."

"I said, 'Look, she's a guy!' And my mate said, 'oh no she's not. How can you tell?' I said, 'One look at the size of her hands. Two, check the Adam's apple. And three, I'm not even gonna tell you.' I'm pretty good at spotting that kind of thing."

You know what, you'd make a really terrible transsexual!

"Tell me about it. I'd be the worst. I'd be the hairiest, most lumbering one you ever did see."

Exactly. And look at the size of your massive hands. Total giveaway! Have you ever two-timed anyone?

"Actually, no. When I was 16 I was cheated on by a girl I thought I loved. She used to live in London while I was doing three jobs up in Glasgow so I could fly down to London every other weekend. After about six months, she phoned me and said, 'Look it's all off, we don't see enough of each other.'"

Blimey, that's a bit abrupt.

"And I said: 'Look, you're being emotional and I'll sort it out with you when I get down.' When I finally got down to London, one of my mates was throwing a party, and my girlfriend and I had achat at the party, but she was making no sense, so I said, 'Sort your head out and I'll go and have a drink.'"

"So I went off with some mates and spoke to them for a while. Then when I went off to find my mate whose party it was. I walked into his room and…"

Oh no - we can see where this is going!

"…and found him and my girlfriend on the bed having sex."

No! What a bitch!

"Honestly, I never felt so gutted. I didn't know what to say or do. I literally caught both of their faces looking right at me."

You make it sound like they were both looking the same way. What kind of position were they in?

"Well, he was lying on the bed and she was reverse cowgirl. So they were both facing me."

What an image!

"On top of that, she was the girl I wanted to lose my virginity to. So it shattered my romantic illusions too."

Bet that girl is kicking herself now.

"I didn't know what to do. So I made a promise that day that I would never do that to anyone - ever. I was distraught about it for a year. In fact, I wrote a song about it."

Oh well. Every cloud has a silver lining!

Christian Guiltenane

Darius' new single Live Twice is out on 10 January. His album, also called Live Twice, is out now