Cliff Richard tells of two years of hell facing sex abuse claims – and reveals he is set to sue the BBC
Singing sensation recalls his months of agony in candid Loose Women interview
SIR Cliff Richard says he is considering suing the BBC after it filmed cops raiding his home.
The singer, 75, also revealed he feared he was going to die as he suffered almost two years of hell after being wrongly accused of false child sex abuse allegations.
Sir Cliff was told on Thursday he will face no action after the CPS said there was insufficient evidence for any charged.
Now in his first interview since the case was dropped he has spoken of his torment and says he may take legal action against South Yorkshire Police.
The Beeb filmed police raiding his flat in Berkshire in August 2014 during a live broadcast.
Sir Cliff told the Daily Mail: "They have a lot to answer for and that was a real invasion into my privacy. It’s unforgiveable.”
He added: “They must be thinking I will sue them. Once, I would have been reluctant. It’s tempting to forget the whole thing, but people like myself are in a very privileged position to possibly change things so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
The singer also revealed how he feared would die after falsely being accused of sex crimes.
He was taken ill on court, worried he was having a stroke or heart attack.
Sir Cliff said: “I could hardly lift my arm up.
“I was told: 'Just take it gently', but I couldn't do that either. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I thought I was going to die."
In an interview to be aired on an hour-long edition of ITV’s Loose Women tomorrow, he reveals the full painful details of his torment.
He said: “I knelt on the floor weeping, thinking, ‘How am I going to climb out of this hole?’”
In another interview he said: “I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. I thought I was going to die.”
He went on: “I’d wake in the middle of the night and just keep going over it. I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in 22 months.
“I thought I was going crazy, because I found I was talking to myself.
“Whether I was in the shower or cleaning my teeth, I’m mumbling away in front of the mirror.”
Sir Cliff’s 22-month ordeal finally came to an end last week when the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.
Related stories
Hours later he released a statement blasting South Yorks Police for hanging him out “like live bait” and wasting public funds.
The force issued a public apology in which they admitted the case was handled poorly.
It is believed to have cost taxpayers around £800,000.
But now Sir Cliff has hit back, claiming their statement was insufficient.
He said: “The apology from the police is not enough. It’s never going to get rid of what I’ve been through.”
Sir Cliff gave his first televised interview to TV presenter Gloria Hunniford, a friend for 45 years.
It will be shown on the chat show at 12.30pm.
Clips from their emotional talk will be shown on ITV throughout this afternoon.
Nine different men accused the singer of sexual assault. Four cases were sent by the police to the CPS for consideration of charges.
The Sun revealed last week that one accuser was a serial rapist and one of Britain’s worst sex offenders.
It has since emerged that another still had his claims investigated despite being arrested over an alleged blackmail plot against Cliff.
And Sir Cliff is angry cops did not do background checks on his accusers.
The accusers: How nine men made the claims against Sir Cliff
COPS investigated claims against Sir Cliff made by nine men, it emerged yesterday.
Files from four of the cases, spanning from 1958 to 1983, were then sent to the CPS for a decision on charges.
The other five failed to meet the required evidence threshold to even be sent to prosecutors for consideration.
One of the cases not passed to crown lawyers was the initial allegation that triggered the probe and controversial raid.
The complainant, now in his 40s, had contacted the Met police’s Operation Yewtree through a third party in 2014.
Another man had claimed Sir Cliff molested him in 1981 while the star filmed the video for his hit Wired For Sound.
He said the singer roller-skated into a shop in Milton Keynes, Bucks, and indecently assaulted him. It is not known if a file on that claim was sent to the CPS.
He told the Daily Mail: “Why would they hate me so much that they would do this to me?
“They must have known the minute they made the accusation what it was going to do to me. The police were going to investigate.
“I can’t figure it out. It’s not as if I had a vicious background. I’m Mr Goody Two-Shoes pop singer. So why did they do this?
“They are either sick and need help or they are being criminal and they want money. They are either deranged, or liars.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team?
Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.