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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Sir Cliff Richard, 84, says he ‘might be dead next year' as he reveals plans to quit touring
SIR Cliff Richard has revealed he "could be dead in a year", as he makes a sad revelation which will shock his fans. In a candid interview, The Young Ones singer, 84, spoke honestly about the future of his tours, as he gave his die-hard followers a heartbreaking update. Advertisement 5 Cliff Richard has revealed he could be 'dead next year' Credit: Getty 5 The much-loved star has revealed the future of his tours Credit: Getty 5 The star has been thrilling fans with his tours for many - seen here in the 80s Credit: Getty 5 Cliff burst onto the scene as a teenager Credit: Redferns Sir Cliff has enjoyed an incredible career which has spanned almost seven decades. Over that huge amount of time, the star, affectionally known as the Peter Pan of Pop, has been constantly touring. However, Speaking to New Zealand radio station Coast, he admitted that he can't do most of his old dance moves on stage anymore. Advertisement Read more on Sir cliff 'I don't want to be an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18,' he told them. Cliff is currently touring in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK in November. However, he has admitted that lately he has started to think about his own mortality. Asked if his Can't Stop Me Now tour could be a farewell tour, Cliff replied: 'I don't know. I might be dead the next year! Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Breaking Exclusive Exclusive "So I don't even think about it anymore. It's one of those things. As I get older maybe I'll become less able to perform, so I can't say…' The Bachelor Boy star admitted that the constant touring had started to take its toll. Cliff Richard arrives for Day 11 of Wimbledon 'The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring," Cliff revealed. "It's very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there." Advertisement The singer - who shot to fame in the late 50s - said: 'I don't want to try and be 18 anymore. "I like singing now, I'm as excited now as I was when I came [to New Zealand] last time. 5 Cliff revealed that constant touring has 'taken a toll' Credit: Getty "And I'm sure the audience will see that we - the big band and I - are friends and almost a family when we're on tour. Advertisement "So we'll try and do something that will make it look as though I'm 18! But I'm not.' Cliff, who has sold more than 260 million records worldwide, has enjoyed huge sucess since bursting onto the scene as a teenger. His hits include Living Doll, Summer Holiday, Devil Woman, and We Don't Talk Anymore. While it wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't hear Sir Cliff's hit song Mistletoe And Wine . Advertisement His No1 hits include The Young Ones, Congratulations, Saviour's Day and Millennium Prayer, plus many more.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Sir Cliff Richard, 84, says he ‘might be dead next year' as he reveals plans to quit touring
Scroll to find out what the legendary star said about his future on the road CLIFF FEARS Sir Cliff Richard, 84, says he 'might be dead next year' as he reveals plans to quit touring Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR Cliff Richard has revealed he "could be dead in a year", as he makes a sad revelation which will shock his fans. In a candid interview, The Young Ones singer, 84, spoke honestly about the future of his tours, as he gave his die-hard followers a heartbreaking update. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Cliff Richard has revealed he could be 'dead next year' Credit: Getty 5 The much-loved star has revealed the future of his tours Credit: Getty 5 The star has been thrilling fans with his tours for many - seen here in the 80s Credit: Getty 5 Cliff burst onto the scene as a teenager Credit: Redferns Sir Cliff has enjoyed an incredible career which has spanned almost seven decades. Over that huge amount of time, the star, affectionally known as the Peter Pan of Pop, has been constantly touring. However, Cliff, who will turn 85 in October, has admitted he may have to quit touring, as he gets older. Speaking to New Zealand radio station Coast, he admitted that he can't do most of his old dance moves on stage anymore. 'I don't want to be an 85-year-old guy trying to be 18,' he told them. Cliff is currently touring in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the UK in November. However, he has admitted that lately he has started to think about his own mortality. Asked if his Can't Stop Me Now tour could be a farewell tour, Cliff replied: 'I don't know. I might be dead the next year! "So I don't even think about it anymore. It's one of those things. As I get older maybe I'll become less able to perform, so I can't say…' The Bachelor Boy star admitted that the constant touring had started to take its toll. Cliff Richard arrives for Day 11 of Wimbledon 'The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring," Cliff revealed. "It's very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there." The singer - who shot to fame in the late 50s - said: 'I don't want to try and be 18 anymore. "I like singing now, I'm as excited now as I was when I came [to New Zealand] last time. 5 Cliff revealed that constant touring has 'taken a toll' Credit: Getty "And I'm sure the audience will see that we - the big band and I - are friends and almost a family when we're on tour. "So we'll try and do something that will make it look as though I'm 18! But I'm not.' Cliff, who has sold more than 260 million records worldwide, has enjoyed huge sucess since bursting onto the scene as a teenger. His hits include Living Doll, Summer Holiday, Devil Woman, and We Don't Talk Anymore. While it wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't hear Sir Cliff's hit song Mistletoe And Wine. His No1 hits include The Young Ones, Congratulations, Saviour's Day and Millennium Prayer, plus many more.
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Controversial BBC series viewers called 'abysmal' confirms return is weeks away
Mrs Brown's Boys is back for another run (Picture: BBC Studios / Kirsty Anderson) One of the BBC's most controversial shows is set to return in just a couple of weeks. For years now, Mrs Brown's Boys has split the nation down the middle, with some viewers branding the show 'abysmal'. Since 2011, the sitcom – which follows the life of the interfering Agnes Brown (played by Brendan O'Carroll) – and has aired five series and 12 Christmas Day specials. In an update that will have some people rejoicing and others wanting to bang their head against the wall, new episodes are on the way. The latest run was filmed at the beginning of May, and Mrs Brown's Boys will officially return on August 1 at 9:30pm. If you're really keen, you'll be able to binge all five episodes that same day, with the full series available on iPlayer – but it's safe to say not everyone is happy about the news. Viewers have branded the show 'abysmal' (Picture: BBC) The latest Christmas special was slated by viewers (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) 'Literally no one asked for this, the BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch,' ranted one user on X. Others called the programme 'abysmal' when the fifth series was announced, and another quipped: 'Actually, I'm starting to think this is an elaborate prank on behalf of the BBC.' Someone else ranted: '[It] keeps coming back like a rotten smell! Give the investment to more new comedy, not keep old ones past best limping on @BBC.' Sorry, the video was not found The crass, provocative humour has had millions tuning in over the years, with the first December 25 special in 2013 pulling in a whopping 11.52 million nationwide viewers. However, after that the show averaged around nine million viewers as it slowly declined in popularity, with the 2024 Christmas Special Ding Dong Mammy pulling in just 2.2 million, while fans weren't kind. 'Baffles me how it's got so bad after the great start it had,' wrote @paulc1884, as @ads900 added: 'This was exceptionally bad this year…more than usual.' The show does have some supporters excited for the return (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) Not everyone agrees though, and comedy legend Ben Elton – best known for his work as a writer on The Young Ones and Blackadder – threw his support behind O'Carroll's sitcom. 'It's insane this show is so abused. It's so inoffensive,' he told The Sun. 'You can say it's unfunny or old-fashioned, but you cannot say it's stupid and lacks skill. 'These are brilliant comedians with perfect timing. They're doing a type of comedy you may not find appealing because maybe you're embarrassed about the fact you have no understanding of why it's funny, so you can't give yourself over to it.' Mrs Brown's Boys is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series Arrow MORE: MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is' before sacking Arrow MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled
Spectator
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Turgid, vacuous, portentous: The Sandman reviewed
One of the great things about getting older is no longer feeling under any obligation to try to like stuff you were doomed never to like. Steely Dan, Dickens, Stravinsky, Henry James, George Eliot, Wagner, the Grateful Dead, Robin Williams, the collected films of Wes Anderson and Tim Burton, Graham Greene, the Clash, The Young Ones, Seinfeld, Emily Dickinson – obviously I could go on. I don't like them; I never did like them; but the difference between then and now is that now I know I'm right, whereas then I thought it might be a personal deficiency. Also fairly high on my 'No' list would be superhero comics, superhero movies and late-1980s graphic novels, including the excessively fawned-upon Watchmen. This was in the period of my life when I was trying to eke out my last flush of youth by growing my hair long, wearing black DM boots, dropping LSD and going to indie gigs (while trying to hold down a job at the Telegraph). If you did those things, it was sort of taken for granted that you were also into contemporaneous literature like Tank Girl (a comic about a skinny girl with a stupid haircut and a tank who had sex with kangaroos, or something) and the Sandman comic book series of Neil Gaiman. But I wasn't. Today I feel vindicated, especially in the case of Gaiman, who looks in serious danger of being cancelled (at least by studios such as Netflix, which has put all future adaptations on hold) as a result of sexual abuse allegations levelled against him by at least eight women (which he denies). Normally, I wouldn't drag up such tittle-tattle but here I think it's highly germane to the charge I'm about to level against Gaiman, which is this: his excruciatingly woke-avant-la-lettre writings helped to generate the cultural climate that is now devouring him. To understand what I mean, try – I dare you – sitting through an episode of the latest season of The Sandman. If you last more than ten minutes, I shall be very surprised. My immediate family don't tend to agree on much, TV-wise (or anything-else-wise) these days, but the four of us were unanimous: this was turgid, vacuous, grindingly portentous, achingly dull drama of a standard so abysmally low it was almost cherishable. Think of all the things you most hate about the modern world. If you're a cantankerous, reactionary old fart like me, it will definitely include models who've been chosen not because they're pretty but because they're fat and/or ugly (something which we must learn to find attractive); actors who've been cast because they have the right skin colour rather than because they can act; and the whole general culture of rainbow flags, blue hair, indeterminability of gender, massive fragility, weaponised solipsism and the desperate need to find offence that has gripped the perfervid imaginations of (at least some of) the youth. Well, I blame Neil Gaiman for this. Not totally, for I'm sure there are many other offenders we could truffle out. But if you're in any doubt that he's at least partly responsible, simply look at the casting, tone and aura of The Sandman. It's diversity, anti-lookist, trans, gay – you name it – central. Which you could forgive, just about, possibly, if the politically correct homily to which you were being treated was leavened by an element of humour, or sparkling dialogue, or plot. But it's not. It's merely a bunch of mopey goth types in an over-elaborate computer-generated fantasy landscape striking attitudes, declaiming cod pieties and being generally inert and miserable. I'm not even going to try to describe the plot for you because it barely exists. Essentially, the protagonist, called Dream (Tom Sturridge), is in charge of the world we all go to when we're asleep and where pretty much anything can happen. Into which nebulous space Gaiman has shoehorned every mythical or supernatural figure you've ever heard of, from Death (who is black and female, obviously) and Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie, as in the big knight woman from Game of Thrones) to Thor – together with some annoying characters of his own invention, including Desire, Delirium and Despair, a talking dog and a foul-mouthed pumpkin-headed scarecrow. Where, though, is the actual artistry at work here? When, for example, we see Lucifer – who is in charge of Hell – deciding that she no longer wants the job and so gets Dream to cut her wings off so she can go and do something else, what exactly is this telling us about anything which matters, other than that Gaiman has decided to drive a coach and horses through millennia's worth of religious tradition and just make a famous supernatural character do something weird and unexpected and kind of whimsical and cute? This is my beef with Gaiman: not that he is – possibly – a bit of a perv, but that he is a second-rate literary talent whose fame and prosperity derive not from his creative genius, but rather from pushing the woke agenda that the comic book industry found congenial to push. Now the revolution has eaten one of its own, as revolutions always do. Good riddance.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Huge 80s star stages astonishing comeback after shock realisation about world'
The godfather of alternative comedy Alexei Sayle has lost none of his Marxist zeal or rage against the establishment – and says his firebrand act is needed more than ever to resist what he calls an 'assault on free speech and comedy'. After over 30 years delivering acidly funny rants at the state of the nation, the 72-year-old veteran of The Comic Strip and The Young Ones is more troubled than ever about the widening gap between the rich and poor – and there's no chance of him getting off his soapbox. 'I would like to retire – but the world keeps getting worse,' he says with a chuckle. 'So what am I supposed to do?' Politics has always been his schtick, and even now, he takes his alternative comedian job spec seriously. He believes comedy is one of the first casualties of an authoritarian society. 'They don't like a laugh,' says Alexei. 'But healthy ones encourage criticism. Comedy is a pressure valve – it's a way to let off steam about the injustice of the world. And comics should also point out injustice.' We meet in a park near his house in Bloomsbury, the literary quarter of central London, where he lives with his wife Linda and their beloved 18-year-old Maine Coon cat, Wilf. The bald, bovver-booted tight-suit wearing bouncer look has gone and been replaced by a slightly avuncular look. Completely white haired and with a beard trimmed into a Lenin point (his barber's idea), he's also wearing a Panama which gives him the air of a professor on his holidays, especially as he's waving a wooden stick. 'It's my martial arts staff – I do Tai chi,' he says, twirling it around expertly. Apparently it's not a peaceful hobby at all. 'No, it's a way of killing people very slowly,' he deadpans. It's been a while since Alexei has been on the stand-up comedy circuit after his comeback tour in 2022 was rudely interrupted by the pandemic. But his delightful travels around the UK with his Strangers On A Train series last year on Radio 4 has found him a whole new audience. He also hosts a monthly podcast with co-host Talal Karkouti, and has even gone viral with the youngsters with his TikTok videos where he explains Marxist theory through interpretative dance. Bringing his surreal side to a brand new medium, Alexei demonstrates the 'bourgeoiose boogie' followed by 'cornered beast' while teaching about how capitalists steal the profits of workers' hard work. 'I mean they're proper viral – we're up to about seven million views,' he says. 'We're going to do more of those, more internet stuff, hopefully another series of Imaginary Sandwich Bar, and maybe some live gigs.' And, Alexei reveals, he's waiting for 'Jeremy to get the new party together'. Always a committed Corbynist, there's no love lost between the comic and the current Labour line-up. 'When Jeremy has finally talked to everybody in the country, and the new party, people's popular front emerges, then I will also throw myself into that until they stop me.' He twirls his Tai chi staff ominously – then accidentally drops it. 'I've also written a poem for the Prime Minister – it's called I Hate Keir Starmer,' he announces, and starts discussing whether he should read it out to the audience when he appears on the Voices of Solidarity stage at the Troxy Theatre in East London on Saturday. Performing on the night alongside Alexei will be comedian and former heart surgeon, Bassem Youssef, singer Paloma Faith, actress Juliet Stephenson and host Jen Brister to raise desperately needed funds for health workers under siege in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 1,580 health workers have been killed in Gaza and all proceeds from the night will go to Health Workers 4 Palestine. 'It's gonna be a great evening of music and comedy and people will be doing good by coming to see it,' he promises. There will also be a silent auction with expensive items donated by Cate Blanchett and Gary Lineker – while Alexei, naturally, is offering a pint. As a Jewish man, Alexei feels it's important to attend and 'bear witness' to what is happening on the central London protest marches over Gaza. He's spent so many years supporting the march, it's practically his social life these days. But he feels compelled to fight what he calls the creeping authoritarianism in this country. 'You know, if I say I support Palestine Action, I can go to prison for 14 years?' he casually mentions. 'I feel sympathy with younger artists who are caught in a bind about whether to speak out or not,' he adds. 'I can understand why they don't and I really admire the ones who do, like Kneecap, Paloma Faith and Dua Lipa.' Despite his view that the BBC 'has allowed itself to be intimidated' over the Kneecap incident, the veteran comic concedes the broadcaster has always been supportive. 'Radio 4 is a kind of natural home for me,' he says. He's been commissioned for a sixth series of Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar, which he says is the work he's most proud of over his entire career. 'There's a budget put aside for next year,' he confirms. 'It takes me like two years to write it. So we'll see whether I'm in prison or not!' Unlike younger artists, Alexei says he's free to speak his mind because, 'I've made my mark in my career,' but he also made his career out of ranty monologues when he was young in the 1980s. 'Yes but the situation has become more critical,' he explains. 'You see how the Labour government has reacted to Just Stop Oil for instance, closing down the space for protest. 'And that ultimately is to do with the growing gap between rich and poor. It's inequality. It's a manifestation of that really. Gaza and fossil fuel protests. It's all part of the same thing.' All that marching has clearly kept the comic fit. 'I'll be 73 in a few weeks and I'm in good shape physically.' Born in 1952 in Liverpool to fully paid-up members of the Communist Party of Great Britain, Molly and Joseph Sayle, he doesn't get back home so often these days. 'Not since my mum died,' he says. Being brought up in a Communist household by a mother who swapped her 'extreme Orthodox Jewish religion for another' certainly set him apart from his Anfield neighbours. At Christmas she even told him Lenin came down the chimney with presents. 'I embraced the difference, really,' he shrugs. 'It was like growing up in any cult. You think you've got the answers to the world's problems.' He briefly considered becoming a teacher, but his entry into the hallowed halls of stand-up is the stuff of comedy legend. He answered an advert in Private Eye in 1979 and became a compere of The Comedy Store on a tiny little stage in a Soho strip club where acts like Rik Mayall and French & Saunders started their careers. The comedy industry has changed beyond recognition since those ground-breaking days. 'It's a massive industry now, and like any industry, it's become homogenised.' Instead of coming up the hard way and being heckled on stage, many comics now start their careers on social media. In this 'old dog learns new tricks' phase of his career, Alexei could certainly teach the kids a few things. 'I've seen the odd comic who is great on social media, but if you go and see them live, it's painful,' he says, looking pained. 'Friends that I still have in the industry say that is a problem. They look great in an edited clip on YouTube, but they can't sustain anything and act really.' Beyond the stand-up and theatre work, Alexei's also a seasoned character actor and has appeared in everything from Gorky Park and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade to Carry On Columbus. But it's his time with his old Comic Strip friends when alternative comedy took over BBC Television Centre that he recalls with the most fondness. 'The Young Ones was an extraordinary time,' he says. 'It was tremendously exciting and we were all friends. 'At one point I was making my own series, and Jennifer was making the first series of ABFAB, and Nigel was working on something. It was like we almost had the run of the BBC. He adds, 'I still see Nigel and Peter a lot these days.' Still mourning the loss of Rik Mayall who died of a heart attack aged 56 in 2014, he met up with his old comedy crew at Robbie Coltrane's memorial last year. The Scottish actor, who died in 2022, was a regular on the 1980s TV show The Comic Strip Presents along with Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Richardson and Alexei. 'Rik's death was a real shock. Terrible,' Alexei shakes his head sadly. 'I remember speaking to Dawn at Robbie memorial and saying it was a real feeling of family. I think she felt that even if we don't see each other, we've all been through something profound together.' He's never really been away, but it's great to have Alexei back where he's needed – showing us the alternative view to the mainstream. • The UK's largest cultural fundraiser for Palestine, Voices of Solidarity, which will take place at London's Troxy Saturday July 19, 2025 (7pm). Tickets from
