Cliff Richard details 'rude' encounter with Tom Jones as he lifts lid on relationship

During a previous appearance on BBC's Saturday Kitchen, Sir Cliff Richard joined forces with culinary maestros Ellis Barrie, Sarit Packer, and Itamar Srulovich. Amidst the flurry of cooking, host Matt Tebbutt engaged the legendary singer in conversation about his illustrious career and his new Christmas album.

During the chat that aired in 2022, Sir Cliff lamented on the nature of showbiz friendships, remarking: "I feel sometimes that we lose out a lot." He elaborated on the competitive edge within the industry saying: "Our industry is not great for close friendships because we compete all the time."

The 'Summer Holiday' hitmaker then reflected on the fleeting interactions that characterise these relationships: "But that's not the problem. We really only meet for instances like the Royal Command Show."

He painted a picture of camaraderie at such events: "Tom will be there, Shirley Bassey will be there, Tom Jones....me, and then we are in and out of each other's dressing rooms and hugging and pictures."

However, the reality of their connections struck a chord as he added: "And when it's all over, we don't see each other again for another five or six years."

Sir Cliff defined what true friendship means to him, stating: "A close friendship for me, is when people say, 'You want to come to an Indian restaurant tomorrow night?'"

"And so we're not matey," he concluded, before delving into his bond with Sir Tom Jones. The two icons found a deeper connection away from the limelight, as Sir Cliff recounted: "I know Tom Jones quite well because he came to Barbados last year, and we ended up at the same barbecue and they sat me next to him."

Discussing the moment they turned their backs to the crowd, Cliff shared: "We sat like this and talked and everybody said afterward it was really rude.

"We just chatted to each other. I learned more about him in that period than I've ever known.

"So anyway, I've said to him, if you want to come to Barbados and I'm not there, you could still come and stay at my house if you want to."

"You wouldn't say that to just a stranger, would you? " he added.

Elsewhere in the show, Sir Cliff chatted about his latest Christmas album, which is currently number two on the charts.

Matt quickly pointed out that the singer was sandwiched between Stormzy and Taylor Swift.