Back From The Edge Sir Cliff Clears His Name

After Four Years of Hell, the Iconic Singer Is Walking in the Light Again

- Caitlin Spencer

Walking past throngs of fans and media singing his own song “Congratulations”, all looked normal as star crooner Sir Cliff Richard waved to supporters. But this time it was different.

Cliff (77) was leaving a British High Court, having put to rest a harrowing four-year legal battle against the BBC and South Yorkshire Police in a fight for his right to privacy.

It was August 2014 when images of the South Yorkshire Police raiding Sir Cliff’s Berkshire home were plastered all over the BBC, after an allegation was made to the Metropolitan Police by a man saying he’d been sexually assaulted by the singer at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane stadium in 1985.

Just a year earlier, Britain had been reeling after revelations that Rolf Harris and the late Jimmy Savile were involved in historic child sexual abuse scandals during Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree.

The BBC reported Cliff was under investigation and hired a helicopter to film the subsequent raid. However, a decision in 2016 saw prosecutors confirm no charges would be laid against the singer and his name was cleared.

But, as Cliff argued, the damage had been done. Charities he’d worked with for decades requested he not be involved in their public events, his businesses started to suffer and he feared being seen with children – something he says he’s still fearful of.