Cliff Richard has said he will probably be forced to retire from touring, ahead of the music legend’s upcoming shows in Australia and New Zealand.

The celebrated musician, who will celebrate his 85th birthday in October, expressed uncertainty about whether the gigs would mark his ‘farewell tour’ as he chooses not to plan too far ahead, acknowledging he ‘could be dead next year’.

According to The Mirror, he shared with a New Zealand radio station: ‘At some point, I might have to stop touring. It takes a toll, and each morning there’s the uncertainty of whether my voice will still be there’.

While unsure if this would be his last tour ever, he remarked: ‘Who knows? I might not be around next year! So I just don’t dwell on it anymore. It’s something that, as I age, may naturally lead to a reduced ability to perform, so I can’t commit to anything.’

Cliff also revealed that he would not be performing his famous dance moves on the Can’t Stop Me Now, due to not wanting to seem an octogenarian ‘trying to be 18’.

‘I’m sure the audience will see that we – the big band and I – are friends and almost a family when we’re on tour. So we’ll try and do something that will make it look as though I’m 18! But I’m not’. 

Cliff Richard has said he will probably be forced to retire from touring, ahead of the music legend’s upcoming shows in Australia and New Zealand 

The hitmaker, who turns 85 in October, said he was unsure if the gigs would be his ‘farewell tour’ because he does not look too far into the future and ‘could be dead next year’

Sir Cliff, who was awarded his knighthood in 1995, has an epic back catalogue which includes more than 50 studio and live albums. 

His music career began when his father bought him a guitar at the age of 16 and he later joined band The Drifters.

In 1958, he had a solo hit with his song Move It and has since sold 250million records.

The Living Doll hitmaker previously insisted he’ll never retire and the word is ‘not in his vocabulary’.

He said in 2022 that he likes the freedom of working whenever he chooses and would like to be less strict with his plans in the future.

Cliff told the Mirror: ‘I don’t know if I ever want to retire. I don’t mind stopping.

‘Stopping would mean that I could absolutely change my mind any time I wanted to, or phone my office and say, “Can you get us a couple of nights at the Royal Albert Hall?” 

‘So, retiring is not in my vocabulary, but stopping is good for me – I can work whenever I want to, if I want to.’ 

He said: ‘The thing I would have to give up probably at some time is touring. It’s very wearing, and you never know when you wake up in the morning whether your voice is still there’

Sir Cliff, who was awarded his knighthood in 1995, has an epic back catalogue which includes more than 50 studio and live albums (pictured 1965)

He previously said he never thought he would have a long career, telling Woman’s Own: ‘At 18, my management said, ”We are going to start a pension for you,” and I was like, ”C’mon!”’ 

Last year he released  his 47th calendar – another one likely to leave Harry Styles’ sales in The Shadows.

The evergreen pop veteran has been releasing his annual poses since 1979 and regularly outsells the likes of the former One Direction star and Taylor Swift.

Sir Cliff’s 2025 shots were all taken either at his Barbados home or aboard a cruise.

February sees him posing in youthful check shorts with elephant statues in his garden, while August shows him clutching a cocktail on a liner. 

And although he disappointed fans in 2022 by announcing he had posed for his last topless shot, there’s a hint of racier times in his October 2025 pool picture.

The Young Ones singer said: ‘All the pictures in my 2025 official licensed calendar were taken, once again, by Robin Williams at my home in Barbados and when on a wonderful cruise earlier this year.

Last year he released his 47th calendar – another one likely to leave Harry Styles ‘s sales in The Shadows 

‘I just love being in or on the water. I find it calming and relaxing after a busy schedule has finished, and it clears my mind to make plans for future projects.’

Sir Cliff’s total calendar sales since 1979 are reportedly around the £2million mark – beating those of David Beckham.

His 2022 release was the best-selling of any music star’s calendar, according to Calendar Club, which had Elvis Presley in second, followed by Styles.

Danilo Promotions, which tracks sales of all calendars, put Sir Cliff’s 2024 in fourth, with Ms Swift top. Styles didn’t make the top five.