Actress chosen to portray Cilla Black in new musical was inspired by late star as a youngster

The actress cast as Cilla Black in a new musical about her life has revealed she was offered words of wisdom from the late star as a youngster.

Newcomer Kara Lily Hayworth landed the coveted role over thousands of other hopefuls after entering open auditions.

The Watford-born actress, who recently performed in Secret Cinema’s Moulin Rouge and was trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, met the Blind Date presenter as a schoolgirl and was told to “work hard and go for it” if she wanted to become an actress.

“I told her I wanted to be an actress – she laughed and said ‘It’s a tough industry, but if you really work hard and go for it, you’ll be just fine.'”

Hayworth added: “She was a huge inspiration to me as a child; I grew up watching her on Blind Date every Saturday night with my nan.

“To be chosen to play her is such an honour and I’m so excited to take on the role.”

“We wanted somebody who wasn’t going to impersonate my mum but someone who could capture her spirit,” he said.

“Kara came in with her huge personality and amazing voice – when I saw the response of the audience at the Cavern, I knew she was the one my mum would have wanted.”

Black’s career in the limelight spanned six decades before her sudden death, aged 72, after a fall at her villa in Spain in August 2015.