Lil’ Chris, the 24-year-old singer who first appeared on Gene Simmons’s reality-TV show Rock School in 2006, has died.
While the cause of his death has not yet been confirmed, friends and fans have been paying tribute to the Suffolk-born singer, including Harry Judd of McFly, whom Lil’ Chris supported during the pop-punk group’s Up Close and Personal tour.
Shocked and saddened to hear the news about Lil' Chris. He supported us a while back and was a little star and an awesome guy. #RIPChris
— Harry Judd (@mcflyharry) March 24, 2015
The English singer, whose real name was Chris Hardman, first came to the public’s attention in 2006 at the age of 15, when he appeared in the second series of Channel 4’s Rock School. Following his standout success in the show – which aimed to mould a group of schoolchildren into a fully fledged rock band – Hardman went on to sign a record deal with RCA and released his debut single, Checkin’ It Out, in September 2006. In a statement in 2013, Hardman said that he was working on new material.
Aside from his musical exploits, he made a number of other TV appearances throughout his career, including Celebrity Scissorhands, The Weakest Link and hosting his own show, Everybody Loves Lil’ Chris, for T4 in 2008.
Most recently, Hardman’s musical abilities led to a role on stage in Loserville: The Musical at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.
