Music legend Sir Cliff Richard has revealed he enjoyed a 'gorgeous' intimate evening with Priscilla Presley, the former wife of his idol Elvis, while on tour in New Zealand.
A Night to Remember
The 85-year-old singer, often dubbed the 'Peter Pan of pop', bumped into the 80-year-old Priscilla and the pair decided to make a night of it, wining and dining together. Sir Cliff took to Instagram to share a photograph from their meeting, captioning it: 'What a gorgeous evening spent together. I cherish those moments – they light up my life.'
This poignant meeting comes decades after Sir Cliff, who began his career as Britain's answer to Elvis, made the controversial decision to turn down a chance to meet The King himself in the 1970s.
The Ghost of Elvis
Sir Cliff has always been open about his admiration for Elvis Presley, who died in 1977 at the age of 42, even mimicking his trademark lip curl early in his career. However, his admiration had its limits. He previously revealed that he declined an opportunity to meet his hero because Elvis had 'put on lots of weight'.
This admission came back into focus during a November 2023 appearance on ITV's This Morning. Sir Cliff explained to host Alison Hammond that a journalist had offered him the chance to meet Elvis, but he turned it down. 'I thought, "If I am having a photo with him and I have it hanging on my refrigerator, of course he's got to look good,"' he confessed. 'And I put it off and, of course, then he died.'
Alison Hammond was quick to challenge him on this, stating firmly, 'You should never have put it off just because they’re a little bit heavier.' After a moment of deflection, Sir Cliff conceded to the viewers, 'You should take the chance to meet your idols even if they’ve put on weight.'
Reflections and Regrets
Elsewhere in that same interview, the singer shed light on his strict dietary habits, revealing that he only eats one meal a day. He explained his routine consists of yoghurt with muesli for breakfast, after which he claims he simply isn't hungry for lunch.
The story of the missed meeting with Elvis Presley, a man who famously struggled with his health and passed away dependent on prescription drugs, adds a layer of bittersweet irony to his recent, cherished evening with Priscilla. It was a night that connected him to his idol in a way he never managed while Elvis was alive.
