Sir Cliff Richard, one of Britain’s most enduring music icons, has long been celebrated for his remarkable health and vitality. But between 2014 and 2016, the singer endured what he describes as the most harrowing period of his life — a time when stress and fear left him physically and emotionally shattered. The ordeal began in 2014, when police raided his £2 million Berkshire home after a single allegation of child sexual abuse surfaced. Richard, then in his early seventies, was plunged into a two-year investigation that would ultimately end without any charges, but not before taking a serious toll on his health.
“Within six months of the allegation, I had shingles all over my head and face,” Richard recalled. “It looked so horrible I thought, ‘I can’t believe it is happening.’” Shingles, a painful viral infection linked to the reactivation of dormant chickenpox, is often triggered by stress, which weakens the immune system. For Richard, the impact was immediate and severe.
In his personal diary, he chronicled the despair of those years. “I wake up in the mornings now and I feel I am disappearing. I look in the mirror and this other old geezer looks back at me,” he wrote. The strain was so intense that at times he feared he was suffering a heart attack or a stroke. He described collapsing onto stepping stones, biting through his lower lip, and losing the ability to lift his arm within the first 24 hours of the investigation.
His doctors confirmed that stress was a major factor in his declining condition. “I don’t think I would fall over normally,” he admitted. “After this I got shingles, too. I remember my doctor saying: ‘Stress is a major factor.’”
The uncertainty of facing potential trial or prison loomed over every day. Richard said the fear was “crippling,” and there were moments when he believed he might die before the investigation concluded. For two years, his life became a cycle of waiting, worrying, and enduring public scrutiny, with the shadow of the allegations following him everywhere.
When the investigation ended in 2016 with no charges brought, Richard began the slow process of rebuilding both his health and his peace of mind. The shingles eventually cleared, but the emotional scars of that period remain vivid. Still, his resilience — anchored in his faith, close relationships, and enduring love of music — has helped him move forward.
Now, well into his 80s and still performing, Richard says the experience has deepened his gratitude for life. His story stands as a stark reminder of the devastating physical impact prolonged stress can have, even on those who appear to embody vitality. “I thought I was going to die,” he reflected, “but I’m still here — and that, for me, is a blessing.”