Sir Cliff Richard has taken aim at fellow performers who announce major comebacks after retiring from the industry, claiming they do it once they've "run out of money".
The Congratulations hit-maker has enjoyed a stellar career in the spotlight, having experienced his first taste of fame in the 1950s.
The 84-year-old remains a beloved entertainer despite his decades-long career, and touching on his retirement plans, he playfully slammed singers who announce returns to the spotlight after stepping away.
"Artists have finished, and then they make four comebacks," he began. "And every time I hear of a comeback, I think, 'They've run out of money!'"
Speaking to Woman's Weekly, via Mirror, he admitted: "I don't want people to say that about me.
"I would rather stop. I don't have to announce, 'Oh, I've stopped.'"
Cliff Richard shared his thoughts on singers who make public their plans to retire
ITVDetailing his own plans to subtly move away from the public eye, he concluded: "I can just wait a couple of years, maybe... Retire for two years but don't tell anybody and book the Albert Hall two years beforehand."
Far from planning to hang up his microphone and settle for a quieter life, Richard seems to have his sights set on other business ventures.
Speaking to the same publication last month, the performer quipped he could start his own gravy business after sharing his secrets to what he deems the "greatest" recipe.
"I'm still waiting for some company to offer me a deal," he joked in December.
Cliff Richard has enjoyed a decades-long singing career
PA
"Paul Newman has his name on all sorts of mayonnaise and salad dressings, and he did it for charity.
"I'm available, can you imagine? 'Cliff Richard’s gravy,' probably the greatest gravy in the world."
Unfortunately for Richard, it seems he may be better off sticking to singing, with his interesting take on gravy garnering largely negative reviews.
Michelin-starred chef Tom Brown slammed Richard's use of eight stock cubes, The Telegraph reports.
"I am not really sure what the correlation between teriyaki sauce is and gravy," he noted.
"I am not taking any cooking tips off Cliff Richard anytime soon. It sounds absolutely vile."
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Cliff Richard singing the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, Congratulations at the Royal Albert in Aril 1968
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Meanwhile, fellow British icon Rod Stewart has shared similar sentiments about retirement.
Despite making clear he has no plans to bid farewell to the stage, the 79-year-old stated in November that he'd be scaling back on gigs.
In a social media post, he penned: "This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me."
However, he reassured fans they haven't seen the last of him as he added: "But I have no desire to retire."
