Darius Campbell, a former Pop Idol contestant and theatrical star, was discovered dead in his US apartment at the age of 41, his family revealed.
On August 11, the body of the singer and actor was discovered in Rochester, Minnesota, while the cause of death remains unknown.
A statement said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Darius Campbell Danesh. Darius was 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.
‘The local police department have confirmed that there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances. The cause of his sudden death is unknown at this stage while medical examinations continue.
‘We ask that you kindly respect our wishes for privacy at this time whilst we come to terms with the tragic loss of our son and brother.’
The Scottish singer-songwriter and actor, formerly known as Darius Danesh when he participated on Popstars in 2001, also appeared on the inaugural season of Pop Idol, won by Will Young.
In the West End, he appeared in Guys And Dolls, Gone With The Wind, and other productions. He also appeared as Billy Flynn in two runs of Chicago.
He resided in the United States and fell in love with Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, whose films include the science fiction smash hit Species.
A few years after their 2011 wedding at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, the couple divorced.
In 2010, he told Hello! magazine about an automobile accident that broke his neck.
During a summer vacation in Spain, the singer was a passenger in a Porsche that crashed at 70 mph after slipping on oil and striking a wall.
After finishing third on Pop Idol in 2010, he went on to win the first season of ITV’s Popstar To Operastar competition, defeating Bernie Nolan of the Nolan Sisters in the final.
A few months after his victory on the ITV programme, which was judged by Welsh vocalist Katherine Jenkins and Mexican-born tenor Rolando Villazon, he was cast in a new production of Carmen at the O2 Arena in London.
He played the leading part of the toreador Escamillo in the production, which was the venue’s first opera performance at the time.
In 2011, he said that his depiction of Chicago’s conniving attorney Flynn was inspired on his former mentor and Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell.
Campbell starred opposite Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera in the musical set in prohibition-era Chicago. He stated, “He’s the consummate businessman and a wonderful guy, and there’s a lot of Simon Cowell in Billy Flynn in terms of the way he approaches things, and I recognise that in terms of the character.”
Cowell was credited with convincing him to accept the position in Chicago in the first place.
He said: ‘I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had and all the opportunities that it opened up and to be able to call Simon Cowell a friend and to be able to have dinner with him.’