Sir Cliff Richard tells Loose Women he wept on kitchen floor and struggled to sleep after sex abuse allegations

The singer said he felt like he was in a "deep well"
Traumatic: Sir Cliff Richard on Loose Women
Ken McKay/ITV/Rex
Emma Powell15 November 2016
The Weekender

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Sir Cliff Richard has told the Loose Women panel that he wept on his kitchen floor after he was hit with allegations of historical sexual assault.

The singer, 76, joined the show for a one hour special with his close friend Gloria Hunniford to speak about how he coped in the wake of the accusations and the live coverage of the raid on his home.

He said: “No matter how much you get through the day there's always that time when you go to bed and you're alone.

“I don’t think I slept more than three hours a night. It was broken up. The first thing I thought about was this accusation, and still to this day I can’t understand why anybody would want to do that to someone else.

“That first night that I woke up I was on the kitchen floor weeping. It was just like a deep well. And I got a message from someone that said no hole is deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

Performer: Sir Cliff Richard gave an impromptu concert
Ken McKay/ITV/Rex

Sir Cliff – who is promoting his 102nd album Just… Fabulous Rock 'n' Roll – said he feared that he would never be able to prove his innocence.

“The difficulty was everyone on the whole planet saw and heard what had happened to me,” he said. “Will I ever be able to get to Australia to explain that?”

The singer said he found strength in his fans, saying: “I remember coming down my gates at my house in Portugal and it was covered in yellow ribbons so I knew [my fans supported me].”

Pride of Britain Awards 2016

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The Crown Prosecution Service dismissed the case on grounds of insufficient evidence in June and Sir Cliff has received an apology from both the BBC and South Yorkshire Police.

Sir Cliff – who is suing both parties over the coverage of the raid – was heavily criticised last week for appearing on The One Show to promote his new album.

When asked why he chose to speak on the BBC show by host Alex Jones he replied: “I’m here. My relationship with the BBC is fine.”

Sir Cliff was branded a "hypocrite" by some viewers but a spokesperson for the singer told Standard Online: “The entire BBC was not to blame for what we suspect was a decision taken by a small number of people. We know there are many in the BBC who disagreed with their coverage and behaviour.

"Throughout Cliff’s career he has enjoyed an incredible relationship with the BBC and its people.”

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