National treasure goes nautical for 39th licensed calendar in another bestseller for Danilo
There’s just 122 days to Christmas and the perfect present for many has just been released – Danilo’s official licensed Cliff Richard calendar.
Fans of the 82-year-old national treasure and knight of the realm – the third top-selling artist in UK singles chart history behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley – are already placing pre-orders for the annual bestseller following its appearance on the Lorraine show on ITV on Monday, 21 August.
Proving he knows the ropes for a successful calendar, Sir Cliff explained the photos were taken during “a fabulously relaxing cruise” by his friend Robin Williams earlier this year, and there’s a nautical theme for the 39th successive licensing collaboration between Danilo and the music icon.
“This calendar was fun to produce and allowed me to be creative in terms of where and how to take the images,” Sir Cliff said. “I’m pleased with the result, it’s not me on stage or in a studio, and I hope you enjoy it too.”
Following on from the decision that he would no longer appear topless on the annual calendar – which he last did in a swimming pool shot for the 2022 calendar – this year’s images include Sir Cliff lifting dumbbells for February’s photo, pulling boat ropes in August, dancing in a multi-coloured top and red trousers on deck for November and welcoming fans into the new year with an aye aye captain pose for January.
Sir Cliff added: “I have grown to love cruising, it allows me to relax and regroup, sometimes prep for new projects and, above all, to socialise with friends who join me on ship.”
Having come in at number three in Danilo’s 2022 calendar best sellers’ chart Sir Cliff has proved top of the pops as its overall top seller with five million sales worth more than £40million since 1985, outselling the licensed calendars from the likes of Elvis, Kylie, Madonna, and One Direction.
And TV presenters Ranvir Singh and Ross King revealed the 2024 A3 calendar on prime-time morning show Lorraine on Monday, while the story has also appeared in the Daily Mail the same day.
“I think it’s amazing because people might snigger at this, but Cliff Richard fans are like no other fans,” Ranvir told LA-based correspondent, actor and singer Ross, who responded: “Absolutely! There’s no one like Cliff, he’s so special.
“It’s funny, I actually put a poster of Cliff up on my wall just yesterday and it’s the poster of Summer Holiday the musical and I was lucky enough to be in the musical and he, of course, was brilliant in the original movie. On it he says, ‘To Ross who did it better? Love Cliff’ – and he certainly did.
“And that’s the thing about Cliff, he’s a really, really funny man, he’s got a great sense of humour, I always think how lucky I am, the times I’ve spent with him in Barbados, in Abbey Road Studios, on stage, and this calendar is just great.
“He is an inspiration, and I say that to him every single time I see him, he really is an inspiration at the age he is, he looks so good, he moves well, he’s still singing better than ever. The fans just can’t get enough of him – and no wonder.”
