Darius has admitted that the infamous, pencil-thin goatee beard that he sported, along with a ponytail, during the Popstars series was actually an act of rebellion, rather than a style statement.

“I hated it!” he told Top Of The Pops magazine, “I only wore it because I was rebelling against being at school and my parents. When I was 16, I went to a school where you had to join the army. I had all my hair clipped to a grade one and we weren’t allowed to have stubble. I didn’t like being told to do something without there being a good reason. That’s why I grew the goatee and didn’t cut my hair for three years.”

Although the ‘Colourblind’ hitmaker’s hairy bits have now been tamed, the Scottish giant has admitted that he still has a rebellious streak, which may be reflected by his forthcoming debut album.

“There was a rebel side to me, and I was doing my own thing and going against the grain,” Darius explained, “I’ve cut my hair and shaved off my goatee, but that rebel is still inside me and I think you’ll see it in my music in the future.”