It was 21 years ago today that Darius released his debut album, 'Dive In'.

It was released on 2nd December 2002 and peaked at number 6 in the UK album charts. The album was certified platinum in the UK for selling over 300,000 copies.

The album contains the singles, "Colourblind", "Rushes", "Incredible (What I Meant To Say)" and "Girl In The Moon".

You can watch Darius showcasing the album live below:

"Dive In" received great reviews in the popular teen magazines with Smash Hits rating it 5 stars and TOTP giving it 4 and it impressed the 'serious' press too, with The Sunday Times saying:

"Here's a turn-up. Not only is this Popstars also-ran's debut a comparative masterpiece when lined up beside the efforts from his rivals Gareth and Will; it could also, with the right marketing, be a real contender for US success At a time when the talk is yet again of Robbie Williams' chances of Stateside stardom - and, after Escapology's mix of calculation and poor-little-rich-man's whinging, this may require divine intervention - here comes plucky Mr Danesh to knock Robbie for six.

Co-writing all of the radio-perfect tracks, Darius rarely puts a foot wrong. Highlights include Rushes, Girl In The Moon and the title track.

Who would have thought? Not, you suspect, Simon Cowell."

And the BBC review stating:

"Danesh seems determined to be different, co-writing every track on his new album Dive In and stamping his name right through it like a stick of seaside rock.

Darius is blessed with a chocolately baritone with an easy elasticity - and sounds superb on this album.

Dive In is a thoughtfully produced, even collection of songs with no nasty blips and a clutch of tunes which make a lasting impression - plus a hidden track to search for.

Danesh's rich voice is a beautiful instrument which blows his contemporaries out of the water - although as Pop Idol showed, it is not everyone's first choice.

His musical sensibilities have been allowed to shine through, and his rock-edged pop is reminiscent of a male Natalie Imbruglia.

Above all, he has made every effort to shake off his Pop Idol tag, and coming third was possibly the best thing that ever happened to him."

Speaking to The Independent at the time of the release Darius revealed that he was very proud of his album saying "It's a bunch of great tracks. Steve (Lillywhite, the producer) said: 'Darius, by Jove, you've done it. You've come up with the feelgood album of 2003.' I said, let's not run before we can walk, but he said, 'No, I've listened to the final edit, and you've stretched yourself, not just as a songwriter but as a producer'. I produced a song as well. I wanted to take the plunge, not just because of being an artist, but because I enjoyed being able to craft something I'm proud of. Hopefully, what I have to show for this year is an album of songs that hark back to my love of music when I was a boy listening to my mum's Beatles collection."

"The only real thing is the music, which I keep coming back to, because that is what I am about."