Cilla says tirra to Blind Date
TV presenter Cilla Black was celebrating her 60th birthday tonight with a party at her luxury home shortly after her final Blind Date show went on air.
The Liverpool-born former pop star, who quit the ITV show after 18 years, was expected to perform a number of her favourite songs for her party guests.
Around 100 friends and relatives were due to attend Black’s party at her mansion home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, which overlooks a golf course.
A large marquee had been erected in the garden where Black was heard rehearsing this afternoon.
She sang The Beatles hit Back in the USSR and Dancing in the Street, a 1960s hit for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
At the end of her final Blind Date show, Black shared with the audience some of her favourite memories of the programme over the years, including the three couples who ended up tying the knot.
She told the audience: “For me, I’m afraid it’s time to say my Blind Date goodbyes.
“It’s been a wonderful 18 years and I just want to say thank you to all my teams, and of course the hundreds and hundreds of Blind Daters who made this show so special.”
Black, whose husband and agent Bobby Willis died from cancer two years ago, sensationally announced she intended to quit the show live on air in January.
She admitted that the show had become more like work than fun and that she wanted to leave before it became a “chore”.
“Now I’m looking forward to a year filled with exciting new challenges,” she said at the time of her announcement.
“All good things come to an end and the show deserves to finish on a high and be remembered as a success,” she added.
Producers of the show have yet to announce who will take over as the new presenter for the next series.
Actress Claire Sweeney and presenter Davina McCall were among those rumoured to have been approached for the role earlier this year.
