Radio DJ Neil Fox has said he turned to Sir Cliff Richard for support after he was wrongfully accused of sex crimes.
The former Capital FM presenter had been accused of eight counts of indecent assault and two of sexual assault dating back to the late 1980s, involving young fans and colleagues.
He was cleared of all 10 counts at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in December 2015 and said Sir Cliff helped him through the ordeal.
The veteran pop star was also accused of historic sexual assault and last week agreed a final settlement with the BBC after suing the broadcaster over its coverage of the police search of his Berkshire home in 2014.
Sir Cliff was not arrested and did not face charges.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Fox said of Sir Cliff: “We would email each other. I messaged him to wish him the best of luck.
“He wished me luck and said he hoped it was all going well.
“He said he was glad it all worked out. I knew all the shit he was going through.
“He was incredibly worried and finding it really hard to work. He suffered really badly.”
He added: “Even though he was cleared and got compensation, what he really wants is those years back.
“People going through, sadly, a shitty time clearly try to share intelligence for just a bit of support.
“You want to find other people who understand what you’re going through so you don’t have to explain everything.”
Earlier this year, Sir Cliff launched a petition so that those accused of sexual offences remain anonymous until charged, which is being backed by Fox.
He said: “I’m with Cliff. It was a dreadful time in our society. There was a celebrity witch-hunt and I thought ‘it’s my turn’.
“It’s only right you should be given anonymity until you are charged. Immediately you become guilty by association. The police wanted to believe any alleged victim. And people’s lives were ruined because of it. How is that fair?”
