Yahoo News Cilla Black statue unveiled at Liverpool's Cavern Club
This Morning's Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield presented a live link-up at the anticipated unveiling of a new Cilla Black statue in her hometown of Liverpool on Monday.
The bronze statue, depicting a young Cilla, was erected outside the site of the famous Cavern Club, and was commissioned by her sons Robert, Ben and Jack as a donation to the city in memory of their mother.
Cilla's son Robert Willis paid tribute to his late mum, and shared his happiness at artists Emma Rodgers and Andy Edwards' successful attempt at capturing Cilla's "joy" in the 1960s-inspired statue.
Related: 11 magnificent moments that made Cilla Black the queen of entertainment TV
"It brings a smile because they've caught the joy," Robert told Holly and Phillip live on the ITV show.
"We were asked by the mayor if we wanted to do something, some sort of memorial, and he suggested a statue and we thought that would be very fitting for her.
"Also, [we thought] if we commissioned it and donated it to the city, it would be a small gesture of gratitude to the wonderful people of this great city and how they responded after our mother died."
Robert also joked that Cilla would definitely have approved of the statue having her nose post-surgery, continuing: "I'm just incredibly relieved that it turned out as well as it did.
Related: 12 of Cilla Black's best songs
"We are so happy with it and I hope people enjoy it. And they did get the legs right, she had great legs! And also the nose - it's the post-nose job nose, which she would have insisted on!"
And discussing how Cilla would have responded to it, he added: "She would've burst out laughing and have been thrilled and delighted. She would have loved being young.
"She was very youthful, in her attitude and in the way she lived her life, and she would have loved being captured at a time when she was young and everything was happening for her."
The much-loved singer, TV presenter and entertainer passed away in August 2015 at her Spanish villa. She was 72.
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