Cliff Richard Urges National Prostate Cancer Screening

Sir Cliff Richard, the legendary British singer whose career has spanned over six decades, has revealed he was treated for prostate cancer earlier this year. The 85-year-old music icon made the announcement on December 15, 2025, during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, using his personal experience to advocate for sweeping changes in men’s health screening across the UK.

According to BBC News, Sir Cliff’s diagnosis came as something of a surprise. He was preparing for a tour in Australia and New Zealand when his promoter required him to undergo a health check for insurance purposes. “I was going to Australia and to New Zealand and the promoter said, ‘Well we need your insurance, so you need to be checked up for something’,” Sir Cliff explained. “They found that I had... prostate cancer. The good fortune was that it was not very old, and the other thing is that it had not metastasized. It hadn’t moved, nothing into bones or anything like that. And the cancer’s gone at the moment.”

Sir Cliff’s candor about his diagnosis and treatment has drawn widespread praise, not only for his personal resilience but also for his willingness to use his platform to push for better health outcomes for other men. He was quick to point out that while his cancer is currently gone, the future remains uncertain. “I don’t know whether it’s going to come back. We really can’t tell with those sort of things,” he said, adding a note of realism that many facing cancer will recognize.

Throughout his interview, Sir Cliff repeatedly stressed the importance of early detection. “We need to, absolutely, I’m convinced, get there, get tested, get checked,” he urged. “I think we, as men, have got to start saying, we’ve got to be seen as human beings who may die of this thing.” His message was clear: regular checks and early intervention can make the difference between life and death.

His advocacy comes at a time when the issue of prostate cancer screening is under intense scrutiny in the UK. As reported by The Independent, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) released a draft recommendation in November 2025 suggesting that routine screening should not be made available to all men. Instead, they advised biennial screening only for men aged 45-61 who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations—markers that significantly increase the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

This position has drawn criticism from patient advocates and, now, from Sir Cliff himself. He described the absence of a national screening programme as “absolutely ridiculous,” arguing, “We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start the treatments really early. It seems to me – I’ve only been for one year now in touch with cancer, but every time I’ve talked with anybody, this has come up, and so I think our government must listen to us.”

Sir Cliff’s remarks echo those of cancer charities and other high-profile figures. Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, told The Guardian, “We’re glad to hear that Sir Cliff Richard found his prostate cancer at an early stage and has had successful treatment. We thank him for sharing his story and in doing so raising vital awareness of this disease, which is completely curable if found early. But men’s lives should not be left to chance. We lose 12,000 dads, brothers, sons and friends to this disease every year. Prostate cancer is the last major cancer without a mass screening programme, and it’s about time for change.”

The question of who should be eligible for screening is at the heart of the current debate. The UKNSC’s draft recommendation, which is open for public consultation until February 2026, has been met with both support and frustration. Supporters argue that broad screening could lead to overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, while critics, like Sir Cliff, contend that the risks of missing early, treatable cancers are too great to ignore. The committee’s final advice will be delivered to ministers across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, who must each decide whether to implement a national screening programme.

Sir Cliff’s advocacy has also found resonance with another high-profile figure: King Charles III. The monarch recently revealed that his own cancer treatment would be reduced in the new year, following a positive response to early diagnosis and intervention. Sir Cliff expressed hope that the King would join him in campaigning for broader screening, saying, “I’ve been involved with many charities over the years and if the King is happy to front it for us, I’m sure loads of people, I certainly would join him. If the King is listening, I think most of us would say, ‘Yeah, we’re available.’”

The singer’s interview was conducted by journalist Dermot Murnaghan, who himself revealed in June that he has stage four prostate cancer. Murnaghan, 67, has become a vocal advocate for early testing, sharing his own story of delayed diagnosis. “I was ill. I fell ill. I’m stage 4, so I was on a long holiday far away from these shores, and felt awful and put it down to jet lag or an infection … rapidly understood that I was really bad, and flew back here and went straight into A&E, straight into a hospital bed. So that’s how silly I was, that if I had a test, I don’t know however many years, how long it had been developing within me, but if I’d had a test earlier, then, you know, the earlier you catch it, it goes for most cancers, the earlier you catch it, the better the treatment is, or the better the prognosis.”

Sir Cliff’s story is not just about his own health; it’s a call to action. His recent performances—including a triumphant return to the UK stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall after touring Australia and New Zealand—are a testament to his enduring spirit. Yet, as he told Gold Radio, the reality of cancer has changed his perspective. “We all deserve to have the same ability to have a test and then start treatments really early. It seems to me – I’ve only been for one year now in touch with cancer, but every time I’ve talked with anybody this has come up and so I think our Government must listen to us.”

As the UK’s three-month consultation on prostate cancer screening continues, Sir Cliff Richard’s high-profile appeal is sure to add urgency to the debate. With personal stories like his and Murnaghan’s shining a light on the stakes, the question now is whether policymakers will heed the call for change—and how many lives might be saved if they do.