Cliff Richard reveals a one-year treatment for prostate cancer and supports screening Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard has revealed that he has been treated for prostate cancer over the past year. The 85-year-old singer said his cancer was “gone for now” and supported calls for a national screening test for men.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, he said: “I don’t know if he will come back. We can’t say that kind of thing but we have to – absolutely. I’m convinced: go there, test, check.”

The singer said he received the diagnosis after undergoing an insurance-related health check before his concert tour in Australia and New Zealand.

“Luckily it wasn’t too old. The other thing is it didn’t spread. Nothing moved in the bones or anything like that.”

Richard, whose decades-long hits include The Young Ones, We Don’t Talk Anymore and Summer Holiday, described the lack of a national screening program as “absolutely ridiculous”.

“We have governments that take care of our country and those who live in that country, so I can’t see how you can say: ‘Oh, we can do this, we can do that, but we’re not doing this for these people,'” he said.

“We all deserve to have the same ability to get tested and then start treatment much earlier. I’ve only been in contact with cancer for a year, but every time I talked to anyone, this issue came up, and so I think our government should listen to us.”

King Charles said last week that his cancer treatments would be reduced in the new year, and Richard said he was keen to join forces to raise awareness.

“I’ve been involved in many charities over the years, and if the King is happy to offer us this help, I’m sure a lot of people will – I’ll definitely join him… If the King were listening, I think most of us would say: ‘Yes, we’re available’.”

In November, the UK National Screening Committee announced a draft recommendation for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme. If implemented, the program would invite men between the ages of 45 and 61 who carry a genetic mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes to undergo screening every two years.