Candis Magazine - May 2008

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    MAY 2008 3.00HEALTH HAPPINESS FAMILY LIFE

    On grieving, psychics and

    Cillamarrying off her sons!

    HELPUSFINDOUR

    See page 52

    FUCHSIAS

    FOREVERYREADER

    FRREEEE

    OUTSTANDING

    OF THE YEARFAMILY

    NEW WAYSTO LOSEWEIGHT

    Read one womanspoignant story

    LIFE WITHOUTMUM AND DAD

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    The lift takes you from theground to the fifth floor

    and opens straight on to CillaBlacks London apartment.Its famous resident is there toreceive her visitor, a bottle ofbubbly already broken open. Itsthree oclock in the afternoon.

    But then, Cilla (as we shall see)is something of a party girl.Shes certainly in high spirits

    today, dressed smartly but casuallyin oversized pink-and-white-stripedshirt, black trousers and patentpumps. The understandably gauntlook that followed the untimelydeath from cancer of her belovedhusband and manager, Bobby Willis,

    has been replaced by a fuller face.Ive got my twinkle back, she saysat one stage and it would be enoughto warm the stoniest heart.

    Cilla Black is a national treasure. At64, shes been in show business forover 45 years, starting out at 17 asa pop ingnue and then movingseamlessly into television, becoming via Blind Date andSurprise,

    Surprise! the most successful

    female light entertainmentpresenter this country has ever seen.

    Ever the consummate professional,Cilla threw herself into herpunishing work schedule, curbingher natural desire to go out on thetown. Anyway, Bobby alwaysreined me in, which was quite right

    because I was working so hard. Notanymore, though. Part of this isthrough choice, part of it becauseshe hasnt yet found a vehicleinteresting enough to tempt herback on to our TV screens.

    Her life, she says, has never beenmore full, more varied. She takesevident delight in doting on hertwo grandchildren, Max, three,and one-year-old Lana, the offspringof oldest son, Robert now hermanager and his wife, Fiona. AfterCillas second son, Ben, was born,she lost a girl at 28 weeks.

    Cilla went on to have a third son,Jack, but the memory of the littlegirl she called Ellen (after myAuntie Nellie) is still vivid in hermind almost 30 years later. Thearrival of Lana, therefore, was

    particularly special for her. I wasbrought up with three brothers.I was a young woman in a musicindustry dominated by men. I havethree sons. Its so lovely to have agirl in the family and a daughter-in-law, too. She and Fiona getalong famously. I always say shes

    like the daughter I never had.Then there are her friends. Cillahas a close circle of gay chums Dale Winton, Christopher Bigginsand Paul OGrady among them. Sheloves their company, she says. Therehave been a couple of rumouredromances, the most prominentbeing with millionaire businessmanand Reading Football Club chairman,John Madejski. But Cilla has alwaysmaintained that theirs was afriendship, not a love affair.

    She lets drop, almost by accident,that theres a new man in her life,although these are very early days,she says, and she doesnt knowwhether it will blossom intoanything meaningful. This revelationcomes out of a conversation abouther latest professional venture,

    cillablack

    May 2008 Candis 15

    Cillas backShe was understandably devastated after losing her soul mate, but now,

    Cilla Black is back on form. She tells Richard Barber about life without Bobby

    Surprise,

    surprise...

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