Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman chokes up on BBC Breakfast as he talks about friend Darius Campbell Danesh's plans before death

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Former Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman appeared emotional as he appeared on TV to pay tribute to his friend Darius Campbell Danesh following the sad news of his death.

The singer and theatre star's family confirmed on Tuesday (August 16) that he had died aged 41 last week. They said in a statement that Campbell Danesh had been "found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners’ office".

Local police confirmed there were “no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances”, with the cause of his sudden death unknown at this stage, the family added.

The Scottish singer and actor, who rose to fame when he appeared the hit ITV show Popstars, which formed the band Hear'Say, in 2001 before appearing on Pop Idol the following year and finished in third place behind Gareth Gates in second and winner Will Young, was living in the US and who would have turned 42 on August 19. READ MORE: Simon Cowell remembers 'charismatic' Darius Campbell Danesh following his sudden death as Gareth Gates says he's 'heartbroken' Pete appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday (August 17), where he told viewers about how close he was with the late star and how he was still finding it hard to process the fact that he's gone.