Cilla Black: 7 Facts You Mightn't Already Know As 'Cilla' Biopic Starring Sheridan Smith Hits ITV
Cilla Black: 7 Facts You Didn't Already Know
Daniel Welsh— The Huffington Post UK
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With the much-anticipated biopic ‘Cilla’ finally airing on ITV, we’re sensing there may be something of a surge in interest around Cilla Black. The three-part mini-series sees Sheridan Smith playing one of Liverpool’s finest, starting out in the early Merseyside days of her career, long before she became a household name.
Now 70 years old, Cilla has gone on to become one of the most recognisable faces in UK showbiz since those times struggling to catch a break. She was originally thrust into the public consciousness as the voice behind the hits ‘Alfie’ and ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ before eventually becoming better known as the Queen of Light Entertainment, thanks to shows like ‘Blind Date’ and ‘Surprise, Surprise’, which dominated Saturday night telly back when ‘The X Factor’ was still just a twinkle in Simon Cowell’s eye.
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Cilla Black
Because of her long-running career and upfront demeanor, it feels almost as though Cilla is a family friend that we all know pretty well, rather than one of the heavyweights of British entertainment, but there’s more to Ms Black than meets the eye.
We’ve rounded up some facts we think that even the most devoted Cilla fans, and we know you’re out there, might not already know...
Cilla Black: 7 Facts You Didn't Know
Cilla Black(01 of07)
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Cilla’s version of ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, one of her signature tunes, was named one of the biggest female hits of the 1960s by Radio 2. Dionne Warwick originally recorded the song, claiming Cilla had copied her rendition and adding: “I honestly believe that if I'd sneezed on my next record, then Cilla would have sneezed on hers too. There was no imagination in her recording.” (credit:PA/PA Archive)
Cilla Black(02 of07)
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Cilla may have given Simon Cowell a firm “no” when it came to appearing as an ‘X Factor’ judge, claiming she would find it too difficult to put down the less talented contestants, but she has some experience with TV talent shows, having judged the stars of ‘Soapstar Superstar’ in 2006. (credit:Julian Parker via Getty Images)
Cilla Black(03 of07)
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And speaking of soaps, Cilla finally achieved one of her showbiz dreams in 2013, when she made a guest appearance in the Rovers Return as part of a sketch for ‘The One and Only Cilla Black’, a retrospective on her 50 year career. (credit:ITV)
Cilla Black(04 of07)
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Other recent acting credits Ms Black has under her belt include a guest appearance in ‘Benidorm’, where she played an exaggerated version of herself. She was meant to be starring in a new sitcom ‘Led Astray’ with her pal Paul O’Grady, but ultimately the project was shelved after they complained they couldn’t handle the long hours. (credit:Ian Gavan via Getty Images)
Cilla Black(05 of07)
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Cilla became known in the late 1980s for her show ‘Surprise Surprise’, when her controversial decision to sing at the ending of each show divided the nation. Sadly, Sheridan Smith does not take on the challenge of this number during the ITV biopic about her life. (credit:Anwar Hussein/Anwar Hussein)
Cilla Black(06 of07)
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When asked why presenting had taken a back seat now, Cilla admitted during a ‘Loose Women’ interview that she’d rather see young and attractive people when she switched on TV, later telling The Lady: ‘I’d rather watch Holly Willoughby on TV than me.’ (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Archive)
Cilla Black(07 of07)
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She may be known for her light-hearted entertainment, but our Cilla’s not afraid to get political when she feels strongly about something. A staunch supporter of the Conservative Party, she once said Margaret Thatcher had “made Britain great again”, and appeared on stage at a Conservative Party Rally in 1992. (credit:Neil Mockford via Getty Images)