Sir Cliff Richard makes a rare public appearance to take part in Piers Morgan’s Life Stories this Sunday (October 25 2020).
Cliff, who recently turned 80, joins Piers Morgan to look back on his life and six-decade career.
The Summer Holiday singer recalls his journey from a poverty-stricken childhood, to how he became one of Britain’s first rock ‘n’ roll stars.
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He also reflects on how the early death of his father led him to publicly convert to Christianity.
But who is Cliff Richard? And why did he take the BBC to court in 2018? Here’s everything you need to know!
Who is Cliff Richard?
Sir Cliff Richard OBE is a British singer, musician, performer and actor.
He has sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
If I was gay, would it make any difference?
He became famous in the 50s and 60s with his backing group The Shadows.
In the early 60s, he appeared on hit films including The Young Ones and Summer Holiday.
Sir Cliff has had 67 UK top 10 singles, the second highest total for an artist behind Elvis, and four UK Christmas number one singles.
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How old is Cliff Richard?
Cliff Richard turned 80 this year.
He was born Harry Rodger Webb on October 14 1940, in Lucknow, United Provinces, British India.
His parents were Rodger Oscar Webb, a manager for a catering contractor that serviced the Indian Railways, and the former Dorothy Marie Dazely.
Richard had three sisters, Joan, Jacqui and Donna.
He and his family moved to Carshalton in Sutton in 1948.
Why did Cliff Richard sue the BBC?
Sir Cliff Richard was awarded around £2m towards his legal costs from the BBC after agreeing a final settlement following a nasty privacy case.
In July 2018, the star won a High Court case against the broadcaster after they televised a police raid on his home.
Sir Cliff took the BBC to court after they filmed a police raid on his home in Berkshire in 2014.
The footage, which included aerial shots taken from a helicopter, was shown on news bulletins throughout the day.
Officers were investigating allegations of historic sexual abuse.
But the singer was never arrested or charged and the case was dropped two years later.
A judge concluded Sir Cliff had a right to privacy while a suspect in the investigation.
According to The Sun, Piers Morgan will ask Cliff about the time his home was raided by police in 2014 in relation to the investigation.
Sir Cliff has subsequently joined other public figures in calling for the law to protect the anonymity of people suspected of sexual offences until they are actually charged with a crime.
Was Cliff Richard accused of child abuse?
Sir Cliff faced child abuse allegations that dated all the way back to 1958 and spanned across three decades.
He has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Four men claimed they had been sexually assaulted by Sir Cliff dating between 1958 and 1983 – which he strongly denies.
Sir Cliff was the subject of a long-running South Yorkshire Police investigation which began in 2014.
Police later dropped its investigation in 2016 on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
No charges were ever brought against the singer.
Afterwards, Cliff said the allegations and subsequent media coverage were the “worst thing that has happened to me in my entire life”.
What did Piers Morgan say about Cliff?
Piers Morgan says: “Sir Cliff is one of Britain’s greatest ever pop stars and I’m absolutely thrilled he has finally agreed to do Life Stories. What a career, what a life!”
Meanwhile, ITV’s Head of Entertainment Katie Rawcliffe said: “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories is a firm favourite with ITV viewers and gives a unique insight into the lives of some of the most recognisable faces in the world.
“Sir Cliff Richard joining Piers to talk about his life and celebrate his illustrious career promises to be a real treat for our audience.”
Who else will appear on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories?
ITV commissioned two 60-minute specials of Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.
First of all, Piers sat down FA Cup Winner turned Actor, Vinnie Jones.
He later spent time with national hero, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
ITV have yet to announce future interviewees.
Where is Cliff Richard now?
In 2019, Sir Cliff quit the UK to relocate to the United States.
Cliff’s good friend Gloria Hunniford revealed that his ordeal had left him “disillusioned” with the UK.
Gloria, 79, told The Sun newspaper: “Cliff won’t come back and live here.
“He has made that jump now and was very disillusioned with what happened.
“He likes the anonymity in America. Some people recognise him but he does not get it all the time like he does here.
“His place is in New York and he likes it there. He loves coming back to perform occasionally.”
What did Cliff Richard say about his ordeal?
Cliff has previously insisted he would never have got through the ordeal without his Christian faith.
He said of his religion: “I can only say it’s the major thing that helped me get through the past four years. Having no faith would have left me hopelessly lost and in the dark.
“My good friends were always there for me and I couldn’t have done without them either.
“But in the end, when you say good night and you close your eyes, there’s nobody else but you. But for me there was someone.”
Is Cliff Richard married?
Sir Cliff has never married.
Despite rumours about his sexuality, Sir Cliff has denied he’s gay and has kept his love life out of the public eye.
He once said in an interview with an Australian talk show: “If I was gay, would it make any difference?
“Would you not come to my concerts if I was gay? I hope not.”
Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Cliff Richard airs on ITV at 9pm on Sunday (October 25 2020).
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