It has been four decades since Sir Cliff Richard surprised a devoted fan in Somerset, just outside Bath. The heartwarming meeting, orchestrated by Esther Bennett’s nine-year-old daughter, Gill, was captured on TV on Tuesday, April 30th, 1985.
Cliff made an unexpected visit to Esther’s home in Bathford, leaving her utterly speechless. After introducing himself and tenderly kissing her hand, he expressed his delight at meeting her, acknowledging her impeccable taste in choosing to meet him: “Apparently of all the people in the world you want to meet, you want to meet me, so I thought ‘this is a woman of taste!’. It’s nice to meet you!”
Overjoyed by the opportunity to meet her idol, Esther invited Cliff inside her home, where he graciously offered to play her some music. To her astonishment, he had already set up the equipment, stating, “If I’m gonna sing, I thought I might as well do it properly and have all the speakers. This is the kind of stuff we use on stage.”
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The BRIT Award Winner playfully continued, “I need a band and it just so happens that we’ve got one here at great expense. They cost £10.” He then dramatically opened the curtains to reveal his backing band, ready to perform in Esther’s garden! Cliff treated Esther to a medley of his hits, including ‘Living Doll’, ‘In The Country’, ‘Move It’, and ‘Do Ya Wanna Dance’. He even shared a dance with Esther during the performance.
Tragically, Gill passed away from breast cancer in 2015. After forty years, Esther still holds dear the memory of her daughter’s loving and thoughtful gesture. She expressed her hope that Cliff might acknowledge the moment in some way, especially as it was a gesture made possible by a daughter’s love for her mum. With Gill’s passing, it would mean the world to Esther to feel that connection again.
Sir Cliff Richard has a long history of generosity toward his fans and the public. As an ambassador of Tearfund, a Christian charity dedicated to addressing poverty in the world’s most underprivileged regions, and a supporter of Alzheimer’s Research UK, he has consistently given back to society. Moreover, The Sir Cliff Richard Charitable Trust reported an income of £454,536 last year.
The touching moment of Sir Cliff meeting Esther can be watched in full online.
