TOUR PROGRAMME INTERVIEW

You know the saying 'if at first you don't suceed..'? Well that certainly applies to Darius Danesh! Despite his infamous Popstars audition, Darius completely wowed the nation, making it to the Pop Idol final three. Unsurprisingly he promises never to audition in public again - but then again he doesn't need to!

And we're sure there's going to be 'a lot of love' for him in this arena tonight!

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Whats's the strangest place you've been recognised?

I was mountain walking in Scotland recently, really high up, and this elderly couple, who'd obviously spent all day walking up there, suddenly spotted me and got a bit overwhelmed. Their reaction actually took me by surprise too!

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Have you received any outrageous gifts from fans?

I hadn't until I sang Tom Jones' 'It's Not Unusual' on the show and then I started receiving underwear. To be honest, I don't quite know what to do with it, so any suggestions will be gratefully received!

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You must be very excited about the Pop Idol Tour?

Absolutely! The idea of doing a tour is beyond my dreams, never mind our immediate ambitions! It's a huge undertaking and I feel so humble and privileged to be part of such a massive project.

Performing with S Club 7 in Dublin was a pretty good warm up for the tour...

It was awesome. Can you imagine going out on to a stage and seeing a sea of faces, and glow lights being waved from side to side? It's incredible. I remember looking into the crowd while I was singing 'Whole Again' and suddenly being aware that the lyrics were floating back at me, and everyone was singing along. It felt amazing and I'm sure that the Pop Idol tour is going to be equalkly special, if not better.

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What would your fantasy tour dressing room be like? 

You know what, I don't even really like the idea of having a dressing room! I would love for us all to share one big makeshift trailer and then step from that mayhem onto an immense stage in front of an audience of thousands. That would be fantastic!

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Which of the others would you wind up most backstage?

Definitely Gareth or Will. We're always winding Gareth up about his hair, which he takes very well, because he loves doing it and doesn't like anyone touching it! And Will and I are always coming up with really stupid jokes.

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Do you get nervous before going on stage?

I get butterflies, but it's the most incredible adrenalin rush and my hands start to shake. But then as soon as I get on stage and I see people's faces, this sense of calm comes over me. The kinds of things going through my head are: I need to go to the toilet, I need a drink and I hope my flies aren't undone, which actually happened to me once!

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Are you planning any more of your sexy Tom Jones style moves on the tour?

I didn't even think about what I was doing when I started thrusting my hips on Pop Idol! A song like 'It's Not Unusual' is upbeat and kind of sexy and make you want to move, so I just did what came naturally! We'll just have to see what I come up with each night of the tour, but I take absolutely no responsibility for the results!

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Reveal a secret about Hayley...

It's no secret that she loves Kylie, but what you may not know is that she dresses up like Kylie at every possible opportunity! She goes the whole hog, the halter-neck top, the hotpants - and she looks awesome!

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And do you have a message for your fans?

I would like to thank everyone who picked up the telephone to vote, or sent an email or had any kind of encouragement for me, because you've absolutely made my dreams come true. 

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