84-year-old Sir Cliff Richard has admitted that his upcoming tour could be his last, amid fears that he could be ‘dead’ by next year.
The legendary crooner and controversial gravy-maker is set to embark upon a series of live shows in Australia and New Zealand.
The octogenarian rock n’ roll star has been a fixture of the music industry for almost 70 years, having rose to fame with the hit single Move It in 1958.
He went on to release such hits as Living Doll (1960), We Don’t Talk Anymore (1979) and Summer Holiday (1963), from his musical film of the same name.
His global Can’t Stop Me Now tour will get underway in Cardiff on November 30, before touring venues in Australia and New Zealand.
However, Cliff, who turns 85 in October, has admitted that this could turn out to be his ‘farewell tour,’ should the worst come to pass.
During an interview with the New Zealand radio station Coast, Sir Cliff – who was knighted in 1995 – admitted that he doesn’t think too far into the future.
After all, he might be ‘dead next year.’
‘The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring. It’s very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there,’ he shared.
Pressed on whether this would be his final ever tour, Sir Cliff said: ‘I might be dead the next year!’
‘So I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s one of those things. As I get older maybe I’ll become less able to perform, so I can’t say’.
Elsewhere in the interview, he admitted that he wouldn’t be breaking out his old dance moves.
‘I don’t want to be an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18,’ the Mistletoe and Wine singer told hosts Toni, Jase and Sam.
He may have once been credited as Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley, but these days, Sir Cliff is best known for his colourful picture calendars, released every year to the delight of grandmas and ironic fans everywhere.
The 2024 edition saw Sir Cliff posing aboard a luxurious cruise ship, showing off his collection of sunglasses and colourful shirts.
Of the calendar, Sir Cliff said: ‘I have grown to love cruising, it allows me to relax and regroup, sometimes prep for new projects, and above all, to socialise with friends who join me on ship.
‘This calendar was fun to produce and allowed me to be creative in terms of where and how to take the images.
‘I am pleased with the result, it’s not me on stage or in a studio, and I hope you enjoy it too!’
The release of Sir Cliff’s cruising calendar came in the wake of his ‘fat shaming’ controversy which ensued during an ill-fated appearance on This Morning.
Explaining his regret at not meeting Elvis, Sir Cliff told Alison Hammond: I had one chance, through a journalist when I was promoting Devil Woman in the States.
‘At the end of the interview though, I said, “Can we put it off?” because he’d put on a lot of weight, and I thought, if I’m having a photograph taken with him and it’s going to be hanging on my refrigerator, it’s got to look good.’
‘You should never have put it off, just because they’re a little bit heavier,’ Alison joked back.
He went on: ‘If you’re a fan of somebody’s, if you get the chance to meet them, meet them, even if they’ve put on weight!’
Alison retorted: ‘Is that why you don’t want me over at your house?’
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