Alex Jones asks Cliff Richard an awkward question

With Sir Cliff Richard currently SUING the BBC over their coverage of a police raid on his Berkshire home, you’d think he’d be a little reluctant to plonk his bum on the One Show sofa, wouldn’t you?

Presenter Alex Jones couldn’t help but feel the same – and stunned Sir Cliff by raising the issue during a cosy chat on last night’s show. Cue much awkwardness.

The 75-year-old singer has begun legal action against both the BBC and South Yorkshire police over allegations of sexual assault and the subsequent investigation. Despite being named in the Operation Yewtree probe, Cliff was never arrested or charged.

So why did Sir Cliff decided to go on the Beeb for a cosy chat? Well, because he likes the Archers, obviously.

“My relationship with the BBC… is fine,” he explained, “‘I’m here, aren’t I? I mean, the BBC to me is The One Show, it’s the radio shows I listen to. I listen to them all over the world. I listen to The Today Programme, The Archers when I catch up with it.”

Alex didn’t leave it there, either. Poor old Cliff only wanted to plug his new album and tour, but she decided to rake up the whole sorry business again.

Still, the pop legend gamely explained how his life was turned upside down by the accuations.

“You feel like you’re in a hole,” Cliff explained, “and no matter how much you’re loved — my fans, my family, my friends — in the end you get to bed at night and you’re on your own again.”

“And you can’t help but think, ‘How do I get out of this? How do I escape from this emotional trauma?’

“Paul Gambaccini said to me… Unless you go through what we’ve been through, it’s impossible to explain what it’s like… It was a terrible, terrible two years. But it’s over!”

“After a few months of it, I wasn’t quite sure I would ever be the same person again… I’ll never, ever get over it. I’ll never forget those two years…

“But even now, I can’t feel hate. I want to understand why people [who make false accusations] do this.”