A statement from his family to the PA news agency said: “The results of medical examinations confirmed that Darius’ death was an accident caused by chloroethane, which is used to treat pain and which tragically leads to respiratory arrest. “Darius suffered from chronic neck pain following a car accident in 2010. We would like to thank everyone for their love and kindness and ask that the family’s privacy be maintained at this difficult time.” In 2010, Danesh Campbell spoke to Hello! magazine about the car accident in which he broke his neck. The singer was a passenger in a Porsche when it crashed into a wall at 70mph after an oil slick while on holiday in Spain. The Scottish singer-songwriter and actor – who was known as Darius Danesh when he made his first bid for fame on ITV’s Popstars in 2001 – also appeared on the first Pop Idol, which was won by Will Young. Fellow Pop Idol contestants Will Young and Gareth Gates paid tribute to him after his death, describing him as “driven, courageous and kind”. Music mogul Simon Cowell, who Danesh Campbell turned down for a record deal after appearing on the talent show, paid tribute to the singer, as did Hollywood actor Gerard Butler. The pair were close friends and were photographed together in Malibu shortly before the singer’s death. In his own tribute to Campbell Danesh, Butler wrote that he had “a barely restrained zest for life” and “the heart of a lion”. “For those lucky enough to have known Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely contained zest for life,” she wrote. “He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice and a genuinely warm hug that few could resist – nor would they! “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 it could light up a room in seconds.” Campbell Danesh’s debut single Colourblind was released in July 2002 and went straight to number one, marking the start of a string of top 10 releases. After his death, the song re-entered the music charts and several days later topped the iTunes download chart. Campbell Danesh’s family said in a statement in August that he was “found unresponsive in bed in his Rochester, Minnesota, apartment on August 11 and was pronounced dead that afternoon by the local medical examiner’s office.” They added that local police found “no sign of intent or suspicious circumstances”. The Queen’s remarkable life was recalled in our latest episode of What You Need To Know
