Jimmy Tarbuck joins Cilla Black's 50 years in showbiz celebrations
COMEDIAN Jimmy Tarbuck put his troubles to one side to join other stars celebrating Cilla Black’s 50 years in showbusiness.
The 73-year-old comic has rarely been seen in public since he was questioned by North Yorkshire Police in April over historic child sex abuse allegations dating back to the Seventies in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Tarbuck is still on police bail pending further investigations.
Among the party guests was comedian Jim Davidson, 59, who was cleared a month ago of sex abuse allegations against a number of women, one dating back 35 years.
He was questioned by detectives from Operation Yewtree, sparked by the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal. Cilla, 70, held the “Cillabration” party at Tramp’s private members club in London on Friday.
Her career hit the big-time in September 1963 when she was given a recording contract by Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. Her hits included her 1964 number one Anyone Who Had a Heart and songs such as Step Inside Love and Alfie.
She went on to become Britain’s most popular female TV presenter in the Eighties and Nineties, hosting Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.
Other guests included Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carol Vorderman, Jo Wood, Des O’Connor, Sheila Ferguson, of the Three Degrees, and comedian Bobby Davro.
Cilla was married to her manager Bobby Willis for more than 30 years, but suffered heartache when he died from lung cancer in 1999.