‘It Can Blind You’: Stress Linked to Cliff Richard’s Painful Health Battle Following False Allegations
Sir Cliff Richard has revealed how the emotional strain of being falsely accused of historical sexual offences in 2014 triggered a serious health condition that could have robbed him of his sight. Speaking candidly in the new Channel 4 documentary The Accused: National Treasures on Trial, the 81-year-old music legend recalled developing shingles “all over” his head at the height of the ordeal.
“I came out in shingles all over my head,” Sir Cliff said, describing the distressing outbreak. At the time, he was in Portugal, where a local doctor quickly diagnosed the condition. “After about the third visit, he said it’s coming down your forehead, you don’t want to get it in your eyes because it can blind you,” Cliff recalled. When he asked how someone contracts shingles, the doctor gave a small smile and answered with one word: “Stress.”
For Sir Cliff, the connection was undeniable. The accusations — part of Operation Yewtree, a high-profile British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations — had placed him under intense public scrutiny. Despite being acquitted and never charged, the investigation dragged on for nearly two years, during which his reputation and personal life were thrust into the spotlight in the most public and invasive way possible.
Shingles, medically known as herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus responsible for chickenpox. The NHS notes that after a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the body and can resurface years later, often triggered by stress or a weakened immune system.
The initial symptoms can be subtle but painful, beginning with a constant dull, burning, or tingling sensation in a localized area. In Sir Cliff’s case, the pain began on his scalp and forehead, eventually giving way to a rash of red blotches that developed into clusters of itchy blisters. “You may have sharp stabbing pains from time to time, and the affected area of skin will usually be tender,” the NHS explains.
If shingles spreads to the eye — a condition known as herpes zoster ophthalmicus — it can cause serious complications, including vision loss. Sir Cliff’s doctor’s warning underscored just how dangerous the illness can be if left untreated. Fortunately, timely diagnosis and treatment prevented the infection from affecting his eyesight.
Health experts estimate that one in four people will experience shingles at some point in their lives, with the risk increasing with age. While antiviral medications can help reduce the severity and duration of the illness, there is no cure, and lingering nerve pain, known as postherpetic neuralgia, can persist for months or even years.
For Sir Cliff, the shingles outbreak was a visible, physical manifestation of the psychological toll exacted by the false allegations. The experience, he has said in previous interviews, was one of the most harrowing periods of his life. Friends and fellow performers — including Daniel and Majella O’Donnell — have described the investigation as a form of “mental abuse,” leaving emotional scars that may never fully fade.
Despite the trauma, the veteran entertainer has since returned to performing, continuing a career that has spanned more than six decades. But his account in The Accused offers a stark reminder of the ways stress can manifest in the body — and the importance of addressing both physical and mental health during times of crisis.
“I just try to go on, because I know I have to,” Cliff said in an earlier interview. “But something like that… it stays with you.”