Darius World

How has darius taken the leap from cringe king to cor-king? step up Mr Danesh and come clean

Cheesier than a packet of wotsits? what do you have to say about that, Darius?

Hmmmm...I don't know. After Popstars they told me I was arrogant and on Pop idol they said I was cheesy. I was jumping through a series of hoops on the programme and I wasn't given the opportunity to just be myself. When you're put in an artificial scenario, it doesn't necessarily mean that yo come across as you would with your mates or your mum and dad. Foxy summed it up when he said 'Listen Darius - I'm sorry, I was wrong. You're not cheesy, your actually very smooth' That put a really big smile on my face.

Have you lived to regret doing that britney performance?

No regrets, it was all just experience. I think I've grown up more in the last two years than I have at any time in my life. It was filmed in August 2000 and I look back and I cringe at my naivity and my over-enthusiasm. But I've learned to look back and laugh, cos it is very funny. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. It's just one of those things I've put a mental block on which is great.

Is it an albatross round your neck now?

No, not at all. Travis actually said they preferred my version of Baby One More Time to their own! Fran said I looked into the eyes of the nation and did it in a way that will always be remembered! We were told that it was our last opportunity to perform solo. I had this phrase echoing in my head from the voice coach - 'Darius we know you've got a good lower range and stuff but show us your full range.' And Nikki was saying 'Come on Darius, do something really unique.' I was just like, h ell do it.

Do you reckon there's such a thing as being too confident?

Erm...I don't know. You'd have to ask someone like Prince Naseem Hamed! My confidence took a real battering after Popstars - I took a real battering and it affected the whole family. One journalist even tried to interview my little brother Cyrus by hanging around outside his primary school! But it was character building. I wouldn't know about over confidence. It took me six months of just listening to music and being with my family before I had the guts to sing in front of anyone again. It was a big thing for me to go back in front of the nation and just sing.

Speaking of hairy moments, you loved your goatie really, didn't you?

Oh, I hated it! I only wore it because I was rebelling against being at school and my parents. When I was 16 I went to a school where you had to join the army I had all my hair clipped to a grade one and we weren't allowed to have stubble. I didn't like being told to do something without there being a good reason. that's why I grew the goatie and didn't cut my hair for three years.

We bet you've kept it in a little box to stick on at weekends!

That's right, I do actually! I pencil in my goatie and I clip on my ponytail every Friday and Saturday night. How did you know, ha-ha? It's on a velvet pillow in a golden box that I keep under my bed. Gareth has been giving me tips on his two, two, one formation. I've been using Wella conditioner and nourishing protein wax. Believe that?

mmm... all that long hair and guitar playing. are you a bit of a closet hippy?

There was a rebel side to me and I was doing my own thing and going against the grain. I've cut my hair and shaved off my goatie, but that rebel is still inside me and I think you'll see it in my music in future.

so, do you feel the love in this room?

I can bcause Top of the Pops is here! I made that comment on Popstars in a light-hearted way to cheer people up. When I told people I hadn't made it through, they all started crying. Myleene and Kym were in buckets! It was really upsetting seeing people like that, as I was feeling quite upbeat, so I said a few things to cheer them up. I was like 'C'mon guys can you not feel the love in the room?' And so they did - people stopped crying. Actually I'm very lucky to be one of the only singers to have their own catch phrase.

Did you only make it into the final ten on pop idol because the public felt sorry for you?

Maybe you should ask Rik Waller that question! I don't think I would have made it through three months of appearing on national television each week if people just felt sorry for me. To be quite honest, there would have to have been some kind of national mass hysteria for that many people to vote for me each week just because they felt sorry for me. If that was the case then I didn't deserve to come third.

Ok, but did tom jones's 'its not unsuual' save your bacon?

I don't think so. But I do think doing a Tom Jones song showed a different side to me. In fact that song allowed me not to care about the performance. I imagined doing it as if I was in my shower or in my bedroom. I forgot everyone else was around and forgot I was performing. I just really enjoyed it.

One minute you want to be in the band, the next minute you want to be solo. do you smell?

It's true. I actually have a B.O. problem, and that's why I'm going solo. That's the real truth. I'm also in the process of seeking sponsorship from Lynx!

Honestly did you laugh when it all went kym up for hearsay?

I wouldn't say everything went wrong for Hear'Say. I would just say that they're in transition. I think at the end of the day, it really is all about the music. If they have the right songs then they'll be Top of the Pops. But myplan is to write the songs that make me Top of the Pops. So we will see.

Are you just a novelty act?

Listen to my music. Then you can aswer that question.

And finally, have you lied at all in this interview?

(Laughing) Absolutely!