Abuse claim shook me rigid, teary Sir Cliff tells TV show
SIR Cliff Richard fought back tears as he spoke of his four years of hell after being wrongly accused of an historic sex crime.
In a TV documentary, the veteran singer, 78, told of his agony following the BBC’s coverage of a police raid on his home and his battle to clear his name and protect his privacy.
Sir Cliff chokes with emotion as he speaks about his legal fight with the corporation in the programme for ITV, which celebrates his 60 years in showbusiness.
He said: “What I wanted was an apology and I got this from South Yorkshire Police. They publicly in court said, ‘We are so sorry that we caused Sir Cliff such unnecessary stress’.
“I can’t tell you how good that made me feel and I wanted that. That’s what I needed.”
The programme gives a behindthe-scenes insight into one of the toughest periods in the career of the man dubbed the Peter Pan of Pop who has sold more than 250 million records over six decades.
He told how his world fell apart after a man claimed he was molested at an evangelist rally in Sheffield in the 1980s when he was under 16. Sir Cliff only became aware of the allegations when the BBC broadcast coverage of a police search of his Sunningdale, Berkshire, home in 2014. He said: “If I was a paedophile, there’s no way I could hide it for 60 years for crying out loud. It’s impossible.
Shingles
“I do not have any hint of that kind of activity in my background...it shook me rigid. I can’t explain how bad it felt.”
For the next two years Sir Cliff had to live with the uncertainty of whether charges would be brought and four years before he was vindicated in court. He said: “I thought I was going to die. Supposing I had a heart attack. I had shingles. I don’t think I slept on average more than an average two hours a night.” Sir Cliff received £210,000 in damages at the High Court.
In the documentary, he is backed by friends including Olivia Newton-John, 70, and Brian May,
71. He is also supported by sister Joan Webb, 66. Close friend Gloria Hunniford, 78, said: “I hope he will be able to put those four years out of his mind. Deep down, will he ever wipe it completely? I’m not so sure.”
● Sir Cliff Richard – 60 Years In Public And In Private, 9pm, ITV, December 10.