Cliff celebrates 50 years at top of UK charts

Cliff Richard celebrated half a century at the top of the charts in the UK with a gathering of showbusiness friends today.

Cilla Black, who caused a sensation on the catwalk this week when she showed off her shapely legs while wearing very little at a charity fashion show, opted for a rather more demure outfit at today’s event.

She arrived with her regular date, Reading Football Club chairman John Madejski.

Gloria Hunniford was also at The Dorchester, in the tribute event organised by the Variety Club Children’s Charity.

Richard, 67, and the broadcaster are close friends – the star sang his track Miss You Nights to Hunniford’s daughter Caron as she battled with cancer.

Britain’s double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Tim Rice and I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! star David Gest attended the bash.

Cherie Blair, who holidayed with her husband Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister at Richard’s sumptuous Caribbean mansion, also joined the celebrity gathering.

John Sachs, who was chairing today’s event at The Dorchester hotel in London, said: “Cliff is a true national treasure with a career that has spanned 50 years.

“Today Cliff is right at the top of the charts. Variety Club is delighted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to this fantastic entertainer and much loved star.”

The bash comes after Richard’s latest single, Thank You For A Lifetime, was released to celebrate his 50 years in the music industry.

But it stopped short of becoming his 15th Number One over six decades, instead reaching Number Three in the charts, behind Kings of Leon’s Sex On Fire and Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl.

Earlier this month, Richard spoke for the first time about his friendship with a former Roman Catholic priest he shares his home with.

In his new autobiography, the singer and well-known Christian said he was sick of speculation about his sexuality, thinks the Church should approve same sex marriages and describes Father John McElynn as his “companion”.