Cliff Richard’s horror at Coronation Street ‘chubby’ snub exposed

Sir Cliff felt like he had “the Midas touch” and was overwhelmed by his new-found success, when he was struck down by a brutal comment on the popular ITV show. 

His 1962 film The Young Ones had received “mostly very positive reviews” and would go on to become the second most popular film of the year.

Not only that but his single of the same name “went straight to the top of the chart” the week it was released – a feat that he claimed was “something that hardly ever happened”.

But while watching his beloved soap Coronation Street, which he tuned-in for religiously and even asked his sister to tape while he was on tour, dealt him a crushing blow.

He recalled: “There was only one minor drawback to the success of The Young Ones – although I found it very upsetting at the time!

“I used to be a big Coronation Street fan and was watching the soap one night when one of the characters mentioned me.”

Minnie Caldwell, played by Kathleen Bryant, was discussing musical films with Ena Sharples in the Rovers Return pub when The Young Ones came up in conversation. 

During the scene, Ms Bryant’s character remarked: “Isn’t Cliff Richard a lovely, chubby lad?”

Sir Cliff recalled: “Chubby? Chubby? I was horrified – yet, when I went back to The Young Ones and watched it again, she was right.”

He admitted that during his US tour, he had made “some very questionable eating decisions” and had “pigged out in the States”.

READ MORE: Sir Cliff Richard: Singer’s ‘secret early relationship’ exposed

He felt he had remained in “rude health” thanks to playing tennis up to three times a week and exercising at the gym on other days.

But on the advice of a masseuse he now also avoids wheat and dairy “especially”, along with red meat, crustaceans, mangoes, aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, papayas and bananas.

Within a month of starting his new “eating lifestyle”, he claimed to have lost more than an inch from his waistline and was “basically the same weight” he was in 1962.

Sir Cliff added: “And a lot slimmer than I was when Minnie Caldwell on Coronation Street declared her love for ‘that chubby Cliff Richard’!”

Cliff Richard: The Dreamer was published by Ebury Press in October and is available to purchase here.