Olivia Newton-John struggled to find a man who'd live up to her father, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS - Daily Mail

Penniless as he was, he had been dating Hollywood star Olivia Newton-John for nearly nine years.

‘It’s bizarre — like a dream that we haven’t woken up from,’ said her manager at the time, Greg Cave.

version of the TV show This Is Your Life.

Olivia Newton-John pictured with her former boyfriend Patrick McDermott.

Throughout her career, Newton-John, who has died aged 73, never lost her image as the perfect girlfriend.

Indeed, Cliff Richard once declared that he’d give up his bachelor life if only he could find a girl as wonderful as Olivia, who was a regular guest on his hit Saturday evening show in the early 1970s.

In 2016, she said: ‘It’s human to wonder but those are the things in life you have to accept and let go.

In 1978, as Grease turned her into a global star, she became the victim of an obsessive stalker who called himself Shawn Newton-John.

He was held in a mental facility after admitting to killing his disabled eight-year-old step-brother in 1984 — claiming the boy prevented him from receiving messages from Newton-John through the TV.

‘Scary, scary stuff,’ she said.

Olivia Newton-John (right), pictured with her father Brinley Newton-John (centre) and sister Rona (left).

It was this focus on good behaviour and clean living that shaped her own morals in later life, and the diverse collection of religious influences gave her a lifelong fascination with spirituality.

‘He could have been an opera singer,’ Olivia wrote in her autobiography, Don’t Stop Believin’, ‘but he was so critical of himself and didn’t think he was good enough.

Olivia Newton-John pictured with Cliff Richard in 1971.

Cliff once declared he would give up his bachelor life if he found a girl as wonderful as Olivia.

One songwriter tricked her into singing a risque line about Vaseline, letting her think it was just a word that rhymed with Maybelline.

‘I did think it was a little odd that behind the stage there was an enormous fish tank — occupied by a half-naked girl.’.

Raymond took one look at Newton-John and said: ‘I don’t think this is going to work out.

From the beginning of treatment, she was determined to remain positive, telling the Daily Mail: ‘One of my doctors said, “You can either make this the worst experience of your life or a really good experience’’.

Asked about the age difference, she said: ‘He’ll just have to deal with it.

She was made a Dame in the 2020 New Year’s Honours list and said: ‘Listen, I think every day is a blessing

In spite of all the darkness she experienced, Olivia Newton-John never did lose that buoyant belief in goodness

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