EMOTIONAL CONFESSION – CLIFF RICHARD REFLECTS ON PAST ROMANCES AND WHY HE NEVER MARRIED
After more than six decades in the spotlight, Sir Cliff Richard has finally spoken with rare openness about matters of the heart. In an emotional confession, the 84-year-old legend reflected on his past romances — including his highly publicized relationship with tennis star Sue Barker — and admitted why he ultimately chose never to marry. His reasoning, he revealed, came down to a lifetime of devotion to music and the realization that no woman ever made him want to give up his career for love.
Richard, whose chart-topping career began with the groundbreaking hit “Move It” (1958) and has since included classics such as “Living Doll,” “Congratulations,” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” has long carried an air of mystery about his personal life. While fans adored his clean-cut image and charm, questions about why he never settled down lingered throughout his career.
Now, he has provided clarity. “I was in love a few times,” he admitted. “I cared deeply for those women, and I still think of them fondly. But when it came down to marriage — to the idea of giving myself completely — I realized I couldn’t do it. Music was my first love, and I wasn’t willing to step away from it.”
Among those romances was his relationship with Sue Barker, the former British tennis champion who went on to become one of the country’s most respected sports broadcasters. Their time together drew significant attention from the press in the 1980s, with fans speculating whether Richard, already a global superstar, would finally walk down the aisle. Looking back, he spoke of Barker with warmth and respect. “Sue was wonderful,” he said. “We had a lovely time together. But in the end, I knew marriage wasn’t right for me, and it wouldn’t have been fair to her. I couldn’t give her what she deserved — my full commitment.”
The singer revealed that while he enjoyed companionship and valued love, the demands of his career always came first. Endless tours, recording sessions, television appearances, and the pressure of maintaining his status left little room for the compromises marriage requires. “I never wanted to hurt anyone by not being there,” he confessed. “So, in a way, I chose the safer path — to remain single.”
Richard also acknowledged that his choice sometimes left him feeling isolated, but he insists he has no regrets. “There were moments I wondered what it would have been like to have children, to have a family in the traditional sense,” he said. “But then I would step on stage, feel the love of thousands of people, and I knew that was my family. My fans have given me more than I could ever have asked for.”
His decision to remain unmarried has also been closely tied to his Christian faith, which became central to his life in the 1960s. For Richard, faith offered both strength and clarity, guiding him through moments of personal doubt. “I believe God had a plan for me,” he explained. “And that plan was music. Through music, I could touch people’s lives, bring joy, bring comfort. That was my calling.”
For fans, this emotional confession reveals not a man who missed out on love, but a man who made peace with his choices. His honesty about romance, sacrifice, and devotion has only deepened their admiration, reminding them that behind the polished star is a human being who, like anyone else, faced crossroads of the heart.
As Richard summed up: “I never married because I never found someone I could give everything to. Music asked for all of me — and I gave it.”