Danny Dearden, a former contestant on The X Factor who was mentored by Mel B, has passed away at the age of 34.
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Denise Beighton, his manager, shared the sad news through an Instagram post.
“Heartbroken to wake up to the news that you’re gone. I have no words right now, rest easy beautiful boy,” she wrote alongside several candid snaps of Dearden.
The cause of the singer’s death remains undisclosed.
The gifted singer rose to prominence on ITV’s X Factor in 2014, advancing to the Judges’ Houses stage under the mentorship of former Spice Girl, Mel B. Season 11 ultimately crowned Ben Haenow as the winner, with Fleur East securing second place, per the Mirror.
Unfortunately, Danny didn’t advance to the live shows, but he left a lasting impression on Mel B with his audition, delivering a heartfelt performance of “If You Love Me” by Brownstone.
He competed fiercely in the Boys category, challenging talented contenders like Andrea Faustini, Jake Quickenden, Jordan Morris, Paul Akister, and Jack Walton for a highly sought-after spot in the live shows.
Despite His Short ‘X-Factor’ Stint, Danny Dearden Managed to Carve Out a Music Career
Although he didn’t advance on the ITV talent show, he refused to let go of his musical aspirations. Instead, he pursued his passion, evolving into a successful vocalist and songwriter. Over time, he cultivated a loyal online following, garnering over 15 million streams on Spotify.
His dedication paid off in 2021 when he secured a deal with Sentric Music.
His most notable success came as a featured artist on Michael Calfan’s track “Could Be You,” which has garnered nearly 14 million streams on Spotify and was prominently featured on ITV2’s Love Island.
Other standout tracks by Dearden include “Different Kind of Love,” “Come Down,” and another collaboration with Calfan, “It’s Wrong.” He also covered Adele’s 2015 track, “When We Were Young.”
Meanwhile, fans rushed to the comments of Beighton’s post announcing Dearden’s death to mourn the young artist.
“Devastating. I honestly can’t believe it,” one fan wrote. “Ah, that’s really sad to hear. He was a really nice lad,” another mourner added. “Absolute diamond of a human,” a third fan wrote.