The entertainer was publicly named as a suspect in a sex abuse investigation during a probe into historical allegations.
The case against him was dropped this month by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Talking to Gloria Hunniford in an interview for ITV’s Loose Women, he spoke of the physical and mental trauma he has endured over the last 22 months.
The BBC has apologised for causing the 75-year-old distress as a result of their coverage, which saw footage of his Berkshire home being searched broadcast live on television.
South Yorkshire Police (SYP) have also apologised over their handling of the investigation.
Sir Cliff berated SYP, saying they had failed to “accept a call” from five policemen who are now retired but who had volunteered to make statements in his defence.
He said: “They weren’t even answered, they (the police) wouldn’t accept the call.
“So, fortunately for me, they had read who my lawyers were. They phoned the lawyers and said: ‘We would like to make statements’, and they had written statements, just in case I had to go to court, saying ‘In our humble opinion this could never have happened, we were with him the whole time’. The police weren’t interested.”
The SYP has been contacted for comment regarding the above but have not yet responded.
In an earlier interview, the singer said he was considering taking legal action for the “gross intrusion” into his privacy.
He also said he felt like “collateral damage” resulting from the wave of police investigations into high-profile sex abuse allegations sparked by the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Those under investigation for sexual crimes should not be named unless charges are brought, he said.
