Darius Campbell Danesh: Simon Cowell pays tribute to ‘charismatic’ Pop Idol star who has died at 41

American Idol Sanjaya Malakar said he's bisexual, and was not aware of such when he became a national sensation appearing on the talent competition in 2007.Malakar, 32, appearing on the podcast The Adam Sank Show Monday, chat about his time on the show and the years since, as well as his sexuality.'I identify as bisexual,' Malakar told Sank, adding that 'at the time' he was a contestant on the show - when there was speculation over his sexuality - he 'did not know, which was why it was so weird.' The latest: American Idol Sanjaya Malakar, 32, said he's bisexual, and was not aware of such when he became a national sensation appearing on the talent competition in 2007The Seattle native was 17 when he initially tried out for the show in 2006 with his sister Shyamali, and made it into the show's top 10 in an unlikely ascent - as judge Simon Cowell had criticized his vocals as 'utterly horrendous' - but was popular with viewers who continued to vote for him.He was eventually eliminated in the top seven, after performing songs such as Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's Ain't No Mountain High Enough, No Doubt's Bathwater and Irving Berlin's Cheek to Cheek. Malakar, who currently works as a bartender and pastry chef, said that he was 'raised by women' and eventually got involved with theater.'I had a hard time figuring out how to interact with young boys because my dad's from India and grew up in a temple, so there was never like, "This is how you are a boy,"' he said.

Sanjaya Malakar, who shot to fame as a Top 10 finalist on American Idol season six, is opening up about his sexuality.

"When he did get back, the reply was to say 'thanks for getting in touch, love you and apologies for the tardy response'."It was very odd," they told The Sun.They continued: "It was like I was speaking to a stranger. I spoke to him afterwards but he seemed like he may have been a bit lost."The star's family will now have to wait for an agonising two months before they can receive the details about the cause of his death.A police spokesman said: "The investigation into the cause of his death is still pending.There is no known threat to the public."Darius had been staying at The Berkman apartments, billed as Rochester’s premiere address for “elegant short-term and long-term furnished suites and residential living”.Most tenants who live in the block of flats work or are being treated at the Mayo Clinic nearby.The Mayo Clinic is rated among the top hospitals in the world, and has treated celebrities, including Muhammad Ali, Johnny Cash, and former US president Ronald Reagan.Sean Bean addresses 'regrets' after being married five times[LATEST]Michael Jackson's kids Paris, 24, and Prince, 25, hold hands at gala[PICTURES]Michael Bublé's wife shares new hospital footage from baby's birth[INSTAGRAM]Following the sad news of his death, tributes had poured in for Darius and among those was music mogul, Simon Cowell, who said: “He was charismatic, funny and just a great person to be with.

Darius Campbell Danesh spoke of his desire to return to Scotland and how he felt "blessed" in an emotional final interview. In the last week, tributes have poured in for the reality star-turned West End favourite from celebrities, friends, and fans - following his untimely death at aged 41.

Darius Campbell Danesh 'went off grid shortly before his death,' pals of the star claimed on Sunday. The singer was found unresponsive in a room within the Berkman apartment complex opposite Rochester's Mayo Clinic specialist treatment centre, where he had checked in using the name Morgan Brown, on August 11.  According to The Sun, pals of Darius were allegedly 'worried' when they struggled to get in touch with him in the months before his death.

Darius Campbell Danesh believed he had lived a 'blessed' life and spoke of his deep yearning to return to Scotland, the land he truly loved, in his poignant final interview.  As a host of celebrities, friends and fans mourned his death last week and paid tribute to the man who went from reality show laughing stock to pop and West End stardom, the most heartbreaking words came from the Scottish icon's own lips. As he looked back on his life, he simply said: 'I've been really blessed.

Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh went “off-grid” shortly before his death and had lost touch with some of his close friends, according to reports. The singer and stage performer, 41, was found unresponsive in an apartment in Rochester, Minnesota on 11 August, with his family confirming the tragic news of his death a few days later. An investigation into the performer’s death is still ongoing, but it’s reported that some of his friends struggled to contact him before he died.

Simon Cowell's already svelte physique continues to shrink further after making long-term changes to his previously unhealthy lifestyle. The X-Factor judge recently shocked fans as he looked "slimmer than ever" in a snap taken on a family holiday.

POP Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh worried pals by going “off-grid” in the months before his death. The Scottish singer, 41, who was found dead in a US apartment, would take weeks to respond to messages and seemed “a bit lost” when he finally replied, friends said. Darius was found dead in bed in an apartment block next to the renowned Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11.

Darius Campbell Danesh left his pals worried when he didn't reply to their texts in the months before his tragic and untimely death.The Glaswegian singer, who shot to fame in 2001 when he appeared on Popstars, passed away on August 11 at just 41 years of age.And now friends of the pop singer have spoken out about how they felt "worried" by his behaviour when he went "off-grid" in the months leading up to his passing.READ NEXT: Matthew Wright compares Darius' tragic death to Boyzone's Stephen Gately's passingA friend, who knew Darius for more than 20 years, told The Sun that someone got in touch with them to see if they could reach him as he had "gone off-grid" and and they were "worried".The friend then sent Darius a message to check in on him which took him almost two weeks to respond to."That was unusual for him," they explained, adding: "He was usually very engaging and would respond quickly."They went on to say that when he did reply, the response was "very off" and it felt as though he was a "stranger".Darius' pal revealed that they spoke soon after, but "he seemed like he may have been a bit lost".Scottish star Darius, who lived in America, was found dead in his Minnesota apartment earlier this month, with news breaking days later.Police confirmed that there were no signs of suspicious circumstances when he was found.He was found unresponsive at his home, with the cause of death unknown until a post-mortem is undertaken.The Scottish first shot to fame when he appeared on Popstars when he sang a memorable rendition of Britney Spears' chart-topping track Baby One More Time.Darius went on to perform in London's West End, with him even playing Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind.He married Canadian actress Natasha

Scots Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus says she "can't stop thinking about the loveliest boy" Darius Campbell Danesh, following his death. In her post on Instagram, she shared a picture of one of his performances on The Hour, on STV, which she used to present.

Gerard Butler has paid tribute to his friend Darius Campbell Danesh, saying he has been left “devastated” by the death of his “brother in arms” last week.

Will Young has paid tribute to his former Pop Idol co-star Darius Campbell Danesh, who died earlier this week. Danesh, who was living in the US, was found dead in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota on Tuesday (16 August). He was 41.

Hollywood pal, 51, paid tribute to Darius, saying he was driven to “inspire others to better themselves,” as he shared a recent picture on Instagram of the pair smiling in Malibu, US.READ MORE:Will Young pays tribute to 'gentle' Pop Idol co-star Darius Campbell Danesh after deathButler, who played the Spartan king in hit film 300, wrote: “To those lucky enough to have met Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life.“He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace that few could resist-nor would they want to!!!“He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence.“But, most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in seconds.”Meanwhile Will Young, who pipped Darius to a place in the finals of Pop Idol in 2002, described the singer as “driven, courageous and gentle on Instagram” as he shared a sweet picture of the pair with their arms around each other taken during the show.Young, 43, said: “For the past few days my thoughts have been with Darius’s family and will continue to be so.”“I found this picture a while ago taken during Pop Idol.

READ MORE: Darius Campbell Danesh's cause of death set to remain unknown for two monthsAnd it's not just the news of Darius that has stirred up the world of showbiz, as we are here to take a look at some of the other sad stories to come out of the Popstars series as well as Pop IdolSarah Harding first shot to fame when she took part in Popstars: The Rivals in September 2002.The second series was vastly different from it's earlier season in the franchise on ITV1 as it didn't result in the formation of one pop group, but instead it ended up with two rival bands facing off to have the Christmas number 1.Sarah was the last girl chosen to be part of the group beating out Javine Hylton for a place in the band.Girls aloud not only went on to get the Christmas number 1 but they also went onto achieve huge success in the UK with a string of twenty consecutive top ten singles, including four number ones alongside seven certified albums.Sarah also appeared as an actress in Bad Day, the BBC television film Freefall and the sequel to St. Trinian's, The Legend of Fritton's Gold.However she was diagnosed with breast cancer that advanced to "other parts" of her body in August of 2020.

Will Young has paid tribute to his fellow Pop Idol finalist Darius Campbell Danesh, following his sad death last week at the age of 41. The singer, who became the first ever winner of the pop competition in 2002, appeared in the Pop Idol final alongside Darius and Gareth Gates. Sharing a throwback photo of the pair together, Will wrote: “For the past few days my thoughts have been with Darius's family and will continue to be so.

Pop Idol winner Will Young has broken his silence after the tragic passing of Darius Campbell Danesh aged 41.

Darius Campbell Danesh was close friends with fellow Scots actor Gerard Butler before his untimely death aged 41.

Gerard Butler is "devastated" by the death of his close friend Darius Campbell Danesh. The Scottish singer and actor's family announced on Tuesday that the 41-year-old was found unresponsive in his apartment in Minnesota on 11 August and pronounced dead later that day. The cause of his sudden death is currently unknown, but local police confirmed there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances.

Darius Campbell Danesh.The pair competed together in the first ever series of Pop Idol broadcast in 2001 on ITV with Will going onto win the entire competition whilst Darius came 3rd in the competition being eliminated in week 8 of the live finals.But after Darius was found to be unresponsive in his Massachusetts apartment and died shortly after, aged just 41-years-old, Will stayed mostly silent on social media in the immediate aftermath of his tragic passing.READ MORE: Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman chokes up over death of friend Darius Campbell Danesh But now, Will has finally opened up on social media with a touching message for his fellow Pop Idol finalist.Sharing a polaroid photo of the pair smiling and laughing from 2001, Will wrote a touching essay for his competitor whom he praised as "courageous and gentle".He wrote: "For the past few days my thoughts have been with Darius's family and will continue to be so. I found this picture a while ago taken during Pop Idol."The Evergreen hitmaker continued: "If there was ever an example of not giving up on your dreams then Darius is top of the pile.

Coldplay paid a heartwarming tribute to their "old friend" Darius Campbell Danesh during a performance at Wembley Stadium this week.The band "sent love from Wembley stadium" with confetti cannons on Wednesday night (August 17) following the tragic news.The Pop Idol singer was announced dead by his family on Tuesday (August 16), five days after he was found in his bed in Rochester, Minnesota.READ MORE: Darius Campbell Danesh's cause of death set to remain unknown for two months The lead singer of the band Chris Martin remembered his 'old friend' before before he ended their London show by setting off confetti cannons. Chris said: 'We are going to send love from Wembley out to the world.