British star, Cilla Black, was one very accomplished lady - a well-loved singer, television presenter, actress and author! On this day in 1968, the BBC launched Cilla, making her the first female performer to have her very own TV show. Cilla found herself in good company with the theme song for the show written by none other than Sir Paul McCartney. 

“Step Inside Love” 

Championed by her friends in the Beatles, Black began her singing in 1963, and only a year later was topping the charts with her singles "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World", which both climbed to number one in the UK. 

On a dream run, between 1964 and 1971, Cilla had a total of eleven Top Ten hits on the British charts, plus eight more in the top 40. In May 2010, BBC Radio 2 published figures showing that her version of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was the UK's biggest-selling single by a female artist in the 1960s! 

“Anyone Who Had A Heart” 

Black’s variety show, Cilla, ran on the BBC between 1968 and 1976. But with and charisma as undeniable as hers, that was only the beginning. After Cilla she enjoyed a long-running career as a prominent television presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting hit entertainment shows such as Blind Date (1985–2003), The Moment of Truth (1998–2001), and Surprise Surprise (1984–2001).

Black celebrated a massive milestone in 2013, marking 50 years in show business. The BBC British honoured this milestone with a one-off entertainment special, called The One & Only Cilla Black. Highlights from half a century of phenomenal achievements – it’s a must see! Watch it in its entirety below:

The One And Only Cilla Black

Revisit all the Cilla Black classics with our Cilla: A Tribute Playlist to Cilla Black on Spotify:

Listen to all The Very Best Of Cilla Black on Apple Music: