Cliff Richard has paid a touching tribute following the death of the friend and former manager he lived with for 30 years.

The 82-year-old singer said Bill Latham, who was a religious studies teacher, changed his life ‘fully and completely’.

‘Dear all. Yet another loss,’ he wrote on Facebook alongside a black and white picture of the pair with American evangelist Billy Graham.

‘This time, someone I feel as though I’ve known forever has left this life and moved on to a better one.

‘Many, if not all of you, will know of whom I write … Bill Latham. He is the one who led me on to that spiritual pathway that changed my life fully and completely.

‘He showed me how important it was to be charitable and also be brave enough to speak openly of my faith. Bill was one of those people who you could reliably lean on and I did, many times.’

Sir Cliff said Mr Latham, who was 84, ‘will be missed greatly and will live on in the many hearts of those that loved and respected him…my heart being one of them’.

He signed off affectionately: ‘God bless you Bill. You deserve your Rest In Peace … Cliff.’

Mr Latham died in hospital this week following a spell of ill health, according to a source. He had reportedly been in hospital for a month.

The pair met in the 1960s with Mr Latham quickly moving in to Sir Cliff’s mansion on the exclusive St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, where they lived together until 1996 when Mr Latham moved out to live with his wife.

A source told the Mail that Sir Cliff bought Mr Latham a home as a wedding present.

The singer later moved in with John McElynn, a Catholic priest whom he met in New York in 2001, with Sir Cliff claiming: ‘I don’t like living alone, so it’s nice if someone is there with me.’

Mr Latham acted as Sir Cliff’s aide and became part of his management team before retiring at the end of 2010.

They endured years of rumours about their relationship, with many probing at Sir Cliff’s sexuality. But the singer always refuted claims they were romantically involved.

Speaking in 2008, he said: ‘When Bill and I lived together, there were always stories about what people believed our real relationship was, but what nobody realised was that Bill’s girlfriend was living with us, too.

‘Nobody asked about that, not that it was anyone else’s business. When Bill decided to move out, it was because he and his girlfriend wanted to be alone together, simple as that.’

The singer had relationships in the 1960s with actress Una Stubbs and dancer Jackie Irving as well as tennis player Sue Barker in 1982.