"This is so evil beyond words": Cliff Richard gets slammed on social media for fat shaming Elvis Presley

Cliff Richard, the Cliff with Strings – My Kinda Life star's latest appearance on a talk show, is drawing criticism due to comments he made about fellow musician Elvis Presley. He was invited as a guest on the This Morning show that aired on November 20, 2023.

Monday morning saw Cliff taking center stage on screens, reflecting on the highlights of his six-decade showbiz career and discussing the release of his new book. However, the surprise came when he was asked about meeting his hero, Elvis. His response astonished everyone, especially considering his previous admission of being "obsessed" with the legendary singer. He even has a painting of the legendary singer at his home.

Cliff Richard shared that he had "one chance" to meet Elvis earlier but declined due to Singer's weight gain. Netizens consider his latest comments superficial.

Cliff Richard at This Morning (Image via Twitter / Shirley Carter's P***y)

Cliff Richard: Why is he trending?

The singer discussed his new album, Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life, and his new biography, A Head Full of Music, on the daytime television program This Morning with Alison Hammond, Dermot O'Leary, and guest host Sarah Ferguson. Cliff recalls having "one chance" to meet the versatile singer Elvis Presley when asked whether he had ever met any legend.

During an interview, a journalist offered to introduce Cliff Richard and his band to Elvis Presley. But Cliff found Elvis "overweight" and wanted to postpone it, stating,

Alison Hammond shut down Cliff Richard’s ‘fat-shaming’ comments on ‘This Morning’ (Image via ITV)

"I thought if I'm having a photo taken with him, and it's gonna be hanging on my refrigerator, he's gotta look good."

The statement irked the netizens, and they were swift to respond:

The musician's remarks made Hammond giggle, so he said, "Should never have put it off just because they're a little bit heavier." Everyone should seize the opportunity to meet someone they like, "even if they've gained weight." Alison quipped, ‘You should never have put it off just because they’re a little bit heavier,’

Sir Cliff did not stop there. He said, "If you’re a fan of somebody’s [and] if you get the chance to meet them, meet them, even if they’ve put on weight!"

Alison immediately added her two cents before they went on to the following section,

"Is that why you don't want me at your house?"

Cliff Richard, once referred to as the UK's Elvis Presley, tried his best to mimic the vocalist of Suspicious Minds in 1958, right down to the thrusting hips, "rubber legs," and jet-black quiff.

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Remake of Suddenly: Cliff Richard's Tribute to Olivia Newton-John

Recently, Cliff Richard honored his late friend Olivia Newton-John with a poignant remake of their duet Suddenly, which will appear on his forthcoming album. More than a year has gone since the Grease star's death in August 2022, which was attributed to breast cancer.

On August 29, 2023, the 82-year-old great musician confirmed that his next album, Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life," will be released on November 3 to commemorate his 65th year in the profession.

The singer said,

“It is really an emotional journey to listen back to some of my original vocals and hear just how young I was and how my style changed over the years.”

The duo first recorded the song's vocals while working on the 1980 musical fantasy film Xanadu, in which Newton-John co-starred with Michael Beck. The new version includes vocals from their October 2015 live performance at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall.