LONDON – In a move that has sent ripples across the British entertainment world, legendary pop star Sir Cliff Richard has revealed a year-long battle with prostate cancer. Speaking on Monday, Dec. 15, the 85-year-old music icon shared the positive news that he has been given the “all-clear” following successful treatment, but he used the platform to launch a searing critique of the UK’s current health screening policies.
A Chance Diagnosis Before the Big Stage
The “Summer Holiday” singer disclosed during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that his diagnosis came about entirely by chance. A year ago, as he prepared to embark on a major concert tour across Australia and New Zealand, his promoters required a comprehensive health check-up for insurance purposes.
“The good fortune was that it was not very old,” Richard told broadcaster Dermot Murnaghan, who has also been public about his own stage four prostate cancer diagnosis. “And the other thing is that it has not metastasized. Nothing had moved into bones or anything like that.”
Despite the successful intervention, Sir Cliff admitted to the lingering psychological toll of the disease, noting that while the cancer is “gone at the moment,” the uncertainty remains. “I don’t know whether it’s going to come back,” he said. “We can’t tell those sorts of things, but we need to, absolutely, I’m convinced, get there, get tested, get checked.”
“Absolutely Ridiculous”: The Fight for National Screening
Beyond his personal health update, Richard has joined a growing chorus of high-profile voices—including Sir Chris Hoy and former Prime Minister David Cameron—demanding a national prostate cancer screening program.
Currently, the NHS provides routine screening for breast, bowel, and cervical cancer, but it does not offer an equivalent program for prostate cancer. Sir Cliff described this disparity as “absolutely ridiculous,” arguing that men deserve the same opportunity for early detection that is afforded to other groups.
While the UK National Screening Committee recently moved toward recommending targeted screening for men with high-risk genetic mutations (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2), it has yet to support a population-wide program. Critics often cite the “unreliability” of the current PSA blood test, which can lead to false positives and unnecessary invasive procedures. However, Richard insisted that the government must listen to the public: “We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start treatments really early.”
Joining Forces with King Charles III
Sir Cliff’s revelation follows a significant update from King Charles III, who announced last week that his own cancer treatment—for an undisclosed form of the disease—will be reduced in the new year. The King has been a staunch advocate for early diagnosis, famously stating that it “quite simply saves lives.”
Richard expressed a keen interest in collaborating with the monarch to raise awareness for men’s health. “If the King is happy to front it for us, I’m sure loads of people—I certainly would—join him,” he said. “If the King is listening, I think most of us would say, ‘Yeah, we’re available.'”
With a career spanning seven decades and hits like “The Young Ones” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Sir Cliff remains one of Britain’s most beloved figures. By going public with his journey, he hopes to break the stigma surrounding men’s health and pressure the government into policy changes that could save thousands of lives annually.