Sir Cliff Richard's 60th anniversary in showbiz will be celebrated with a new ITV documentary.

Sir Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard

The channel is putting together a one-off documentary about this star, which has the backing of the star, will air later this year and feature a host of his showbiz friends discussing their favourite memories from his lengthy career.

A source told The Sun's Bizarre TV column: "ITV want to make the definitive Cliff doc.

"He's had a tough year with the High Court ¬privacy case battle against the BBC, but now that's all been settled bosses have decided to put together a last-minute programme.

"They've got some of his nearest and dearest talking about him, and it's all got Cliff's backing."

Two of Sir Cliff's closest pals, DJ Mike Read and Shadows guitarist Bruce Welch, have been working on the documentary already.

Revealing how Cliff, 77, had asked him to take part, Mike said: "I had to go and present Cliff with a guitar on behalf of Buddy Holly's widow

"He played me some tracks and said, 'While you're here could you do something for the documentary?' so I said yes.

"This one will probably be OK because they've got their fingers on it, so they'll be able to view it before it goes out."

Cliff has a number of famous fans, including Britain's Queen Elizabeth and she was desperate to have him perform at her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.

Take That singer Gary Barlow recently revealed that the Queen personally requested Cliff take part in the celebrations, and that the veteran performer was overcome with emotion when Gary relayed the story to him.

He said: "I had to ask the Queen what she'd like this concert to be and the only act she asked for was Cliff Richard.

"So I met him on that. I don't remember telling him that it was her request. He came and did it and he was so gracious - absolutely brilliant."

Cliff was subsequently reduced to tears when he was told that the Queen had made a personal request ahead of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, which marked her 60-year reign.

Gary said: "We were on holiday in Barbados and I thought, 'I'm sure Cliff Richard lives here'. So I phoned a friend of a friend and they said, 'Come and have dinner'.

"I said to Cliff, 'I must tell you something that I've never told you before'. I told him about the Queen and he actually had tears in his eyes."

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