Fans gatecrashed Cilla Black’s funeral, posted photos online
By Micah Sulit
Despite specific family requests that no photographs or footage be taken at Cilla Black’s funeral last Thursday (August 20), some fans gatecrashed the ceremony and posted images online.
Bar manager Shane Robinson, 24, and his mother were among a small group that gatecrashed the burial of the late singer and TV presenter, reported the Sun.
Robinson hid behind trees and gravestones at Allerton Cemetery as he snapped photographs and footage of the funeral, which he later shared on his public Facebook account.
“Lovely day in Liverpool with the mother. Honoured to have been so close watching the burial of Black and to be stood with Sir Tom Jones and Sir Cliff Richard,” Robinson reportedly wrote on his Facebook page. His account has since been deleted.
“Having given unprecedented public access, we asked that the burial was to be private for the family,” a spokesman for the Black family said. “The media respected that 100%. For someone to do this is not only disrespectful but also ghoulish.”
A source told the Sun that Robinson and his companions “were told to stop filming and taking pictures repeatedly”.
“They were politely asked to go which they did,” the source said. “But their presence upset many of the guests.”
Robinson confirmed that security had asked him to put his phone away, but he added, “I’m a huge Cilla fan. I don’t want to say too much but it was a great day.”
He told the Sun, “We got so close. There were loads of people there – celebs and the public. We didn’t speak to any of the celebrities but we were stood really near to them all.”
“We were just excited,” said his 48-year-old mum Susan. “I don’t know why Shane put it on Facebook. There’s probably loads more videos taken, I’m sure we’re not the only ones.”