Cilla Black’s son opens up about her death and reveals her fear of growing old
CILLA Black's son has opened up about her sudden death and revealed how she was crippled with fear of growing old.
Robert Willis, the TV entertainer's eldest son, discovered his mum's body at her Spanish villa after she suffered a fall and died aged 72 in 2015.
He had to break the news to his younger brothers, Ben, 43, and Jack, 37, before the world quickly discovered the death of a nation's sweetheart.
Speaking about the tragedy today, the 47-year-old revealed he is comforted by the fact she didn't have to suffer the ill health of growing old.
He told the : "Her mother suffered from osteoporosis and in old age, slowly became a shadow of her former self. That was my mum’s darkest fear, that the same thing would happen to her.
"So as much of a tragedy as her death was, I think that in some respects she would have chosen to go when she did because for her it was all about having a quality of life.
"It wasn’t the length of time – it was being able to do what she wanted to do."
He revealed that, unbeknown to her fans, Cilla was going deaf and suffered painful arthritis in her hands in the lead up to her death.
She also had cataracts removed from her eye.
The entertainer was also unable to wear high heels in her old age which, according to her son, had hit her hard.
"In her heart and in her head, she was incredibly young so I think she found it all difficult," Robert added.
He spoke out as the family planned to spend their first Christmas away from Cilla's mansion in Denham, Buckinghamshire - where she spent years entertaining guests and decorating it from top to bottom.
Reminiscing on spending the festive period with his mum, Robert revealed how he and his younger brothers would sneak into a different room to watch Planet Of The Apes in a bid to curb watching The Cilla Show.
The Surprise Surprise star, born Priscilla White, died alone at her Costa del Sol holiday home following a traumatic head injury caused by a fall.
Robert spoke of how he had left his mum sipping champagne and watching TV while he popped out shopping.
When he returned he had knocked on the bedroom door but received no answer. Growing concerned Robert then barged in only to find his mother dead.
She left behind Robert, Jack and Ben whose father - Cilla’s husband Bobby Willis - died in 1999.
Cilla launched her career as a singer in the 1960s and went on to host several entertainment shows, including her own variety show, Cilla, as well as Blind Date, Moment of Truth and Surprise.
In 2013 she celebrated 50 years in showbusiness.
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Thousands of fans packed the streets outside St Mary's Church, Liverpool, for her funeral.
Cilla's life-long friend Sir Cliff Richard sang at the service with the likes of Sir Tom Jones, David Lloyd-Webber and Christopher Biggins in attendance.
Paul O'Grady, who now hosts the revamped Blind Date, read the eulogy.
Earlier this year Robert helped to unveil a Cilla Black statue outside the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where she transformed from cloakroom assistant into an international star.
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