Darius World

Darius: I fall in love every day...

By Loma-Ann Bonner Daily Star 23 October 2004

Pop hunk says he is just an old romantic at heart.

Forget about rock 'n roll excess. Dashing Darius Danesh is about as clean living as his fresh-faced good looks.

The hot Scot - whose new single, Kinda Love, is out this week and is already tipped for the Top 10 - has steered clear of the seedy side of pop.

"I don't do drugs, I drink for celebration rather than escapism and I don't have one-night stands," he says.

"I'd much rather make love to a beautiful woman than get an artificial buzz. The endorphins released are the same - and it's much more fun!

Vices

"I fall in love every day - whether it's with how a woman smiles or hearing a baby laugh. And I like doing the little things for a girl, like sending her flowers, opening the door or writing a note."

But Darius, 24, insists that he's no Mr Perfect, saying he has a list of vices "as long as your arm." He adds: "I'm a Leo, so I'm selfish and impatient. Just ask my family."

While the singer is determined not to let the pressures of fame get him down, his life has been touched by grief - his father, Booth, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

"We sweep too many emotions under the carpet and still suffer from the stiff upper lip," he says.

"I want to raise awareness that it's important to talk about your feelings - whether you're a cancer patient or one of sufferer's family members. I feel grateful that I've had the time to tell my dad how I feel and to share all the little things with him."

Darius says his dad's bravery inspired his upcoming album, live Twice, which is about to hit the shops. Battling Booth also helped cure his writer's block.

"I was putting on so much pressure on myself to be creative, but you can't force these things," says Darius.

"Then my dad was diagnosed and I put everything on hold to be with him and my family. I eventually wrote Live Twice and sang it to him in the hospital, and then the floodgates opened and my block lifted.

"He told me that life is too short to waste time and that we should pursue our dreams. This album is for him."

Darius confesses he's an old romantic - which will come as no surprise to his current squeeze, Hollywood actress Natasha Henstridge, 30.

She appears in the video to his new single Kinda Love, but Darius is coy about their bedroom antics.

Lucky

"It can be difficult as she lives in Los Angeles," he says. "We're working on things."

Rumour has it, she's one lucky lady - especially if daytme TV favourite Lorraine Kelly, 44, is to be believed. She praised Darius' manhood live on TV's This Morning.

The singer admits to being thrilled, if a bit embarrassed, by her comments.

But then Darius - who shot to fame in the first series of ITV reality show Popstars, then came third in Pop Idol - is a down-to-earth type.

He's more than happy with the elements of fame others see as a chore, such as travelling, photoshoots and meeting fans.

"I don't understand artists like Robbie Williams who complain about having to move to the other side of the world to get away from fans," he says.

"I feel grateful for the support from the public as it allows me to make my music. Signing autographs and being recognised is part of the job."

But he's well aware of the many showbiz pitfalls - and is determined not to tumble into any of them. "Yes, there's the sheen and dazzle of the celeb party scene, but there's the other side that the photographers aren't invited to," he says.

"For example it can be really difficult to keep your focus when there are girls literally throwing themselves at you. And the drugs scene is huge, although I've never been tempted by it."

While a student at Edinburgh University, Darius ran successful club nights with two mates. He saw first hand the un-glamorous side of excess.

"We had run-ins with dealers and people overdosing," he recalls. "We often had to call ambulances for them. I've walked into a room with a line of cocaine from one corner to another, but I've never got involved with any of it."

Darius is certainly a man who's confident enough to stick to what he believes in - and not only over drugs.

After Pop Idol, he turned down Simon Cowell's offer of a record deal because it would have meant little or no creative involvement in his own tracks.

Talent

And he's quick to offer advice to contestants in The X Factor, Simon's latest telly talent show. "I hope that whoever wins isn't pressured into doing something that's right commercially, but not creatively." He says.

That's a trap our Darius would never fall into.

Live Twice is released on Monday