West End star Darius Danesh has died aged 41

Darius Danesh has died aged 41.

The pop singer was broadly known for his breakaway hit “Colourblind”, though had a long and lucrative stage career from the mid-00s.

He made his professional debut in a Scottish Opera’s The Trojans, and then performed at the Royal Opera House with the Scottish Opera in a production of Carmen. He later made the finals of Pop Idol, and appeared on Popstars.

He appeared in Chicago twice (at the age of 25, he became the youngest actor to play Billy Flynn), as well as taking on the lead role of Sky Masterson in Michael Grandage’s Olivier Award-winning revival of Guys and Dolls.

He originated the role of Rhett Butler in Trevor Nunn’s theatrical adaptation of Gone with the Wind, which ran at the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne Theatre) from April 2008. In 2010, he trained with tenor Rolando Villazón and won the ITV competition Popstar to Operastar.

Danesh was seen in the West End as recently as 2016 in Funny Girl at the Savoy opposite Sheridan Smith, and on tour.

He also played the lead role of Warden in Tim Rice’s From Here to Eternity at the Garrick Theatre, which ran in 2013.

He was found dead in his US apartment aged 41.