Quotes from Cilla Black

I knew I could do anything I wanted to do and go anywhere I wanted to go and not have to worry if I could afford it.

There's nothing going into my mouth that's not wrapped.

'Blind Date' was based on an Australian show called 'Perfect Match', which I first saw when I was on tour there. And I couldn't understand why it wasn't on British T.V.

I love Simon Cowell, he's a dear friend.

Well it has been very exciting and very changing as well. Celebrating the 40th year and having the album out and the Channel 4 documentary and I resigned from Blind Date.

I've had days when I go in my bedroom for 24 hours at a time. I call them my Cilla Black days, and they're literally black days. It's like the old Boomtown Rats song 'I Don't Like Mondays.' You just want to shut the whole day down.

The difference with me is that I did inhale.

I intend to grow old very disgracefully.

I'm a Roman Catholic. Or was. I was brought up that way and used to say my prayers every night, but I don't pray to God any more. I might use the usual phrases I picked up from my parents, 'Oh, if God spares me next year...' or 'Please God...' but they're only phrases.

I'm a 'never say never' girl. Frank Sinatra retired four times. He kept coming back. But there are people in our business who want to die on stage. Literally. I don't want to do that.

In the Sixties, you needed talent to make it.

I did smoke a joint once but I did not enjoy it.

I wouldn't mind being a talent show judge if it didn't run for too long.

Anything which interferes with my social life is a no-no.

I loved everything about show business, meeting the stars, the whole ambience. I was living every young kid's dream. I was told a pop singer's life was three years, but I was still making money seven years later.

Turning 70 was a real shock. I thought, 'I'm on the last lap now.'

If I'm in a rotten mood, I stay in and watch television.

It's no fun getting older. I might be wearing beautiful diamond earrings, but they can't take away the pain of losing my hearing.

It was an unknown thing, a lot of people had very bad trips and I like to be in control.

The nicest thing about coming of age is that I can do whatever I like.

It's true what they say: 'You don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone.' I miss love. I miss being looked after.

I can do the PR thing until the cows come home. That's my nature. I never want to upset anybody.

Work is a four-letter word.

I don't want to see older people on T.V. I want to see young, pretty people on T.V.