Danny Dearden dead as tributes paid to X Factor star with millions of Spotify streams
Danny Dearden narrowly missed out on a place in the live finals in 2014 but went on to establish himself as a respected vocalist and songwriter.
A former X Factor contestant who went on to find success after the TV show has died aged just 34, his manager has confirmed.
Danny Dearden rose to prominence during the 2014 season of the ITV talent show, reaching the Judges’ Houses stage under the mentorship of Spice Girl Mel B before going on to carve out a successful music career beyond the competition.
Paying tribute, his manager Denise Beighton said: “Heartbroken to wake up to the news that you’re gone. I have no words right now, rest easy beautiful boy.”
Although Danny narrowly missed out on a place in the live finals, he went on to establish himself as a respected vocalist and songwriter.
In 2021, he signed a publishing deal with Sentric Music after earning more than 15 million streams on Spotify. His standout collaboration with French DJ Michael Calfan, Could Be With You, has alone racked up nearly 14 million streams. The track gained national exposure with plays on BBC Radio 1 Party Anthems with Scott Mills and also featured on ITV's Love Island.
Beyond music, Danny was a passionate anti-bullying advocate, frequently visiting schools to speak to students about staying safe online, reports the Mirror.
On The X Factor, Danny competed in the same category as Jake Quickenden, Andrea Faustini, Jack Walton, Jordan Morris, and Paul Akister. He travelled to Mel B’s Judges’ House in Mexico, where he performed Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson in front of her and fellow Spice Girl Emma Bunton. Though praised for his vocals, he narrowly lost out to Faustini, Quickenden, and Akister, who advanced to the live shows.
Reflecting on his work with Michael Calfan in a 2018 interview, Danny said: "It was amazing working with him.
"At the time of the first session, when we wrote It’s Wrong, I hadn’t had a lot of experience in a studio of that scale, so it was quite nerve-racking, but everyone made me feel at ease.
"He is one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met, although it can be difficult at times because he has the strongest French accent I’ve ever heard, that mixed with my Northern/Lancashire/Manc accent we had to repeat ourselves a few times."
Speaking about the song's success, he added: "Yeah, it’s mental that amount of streams, we are nearly at three-quarters of a million and we haven’t even started the promotion we have planned yet. Seeing people like Martin Garrix and Martin Solveig add it to their personal playlist is crazy."
Danny’s cause of death has not been disclosed. In a post on Instagram from December 2023, he revealed that the NHS had saved his life during a difficult year.
“This year has been a bit of a rocky one, at one point I was told I probably wouldn’t be here today… well I am,” he wrote.
He had also shared on social media that he had not been in “the best of health recently.”