About Richard
Reverend Richard Coles was the instrumentalist for The Communards, a synth-pop duo that achieved three UK Top 10 hits in the 1980s, including the biggest-selling single of 1986. He later trained for the Anglican priesthood and served as a Church of England vicar in Finedon, Northamptonshire until retiring from parish duties in 2022. Over a twelve-year period, he co-presented BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live and has made frequent television appearances as a guest panellist on shows including Have I Got News For You and QI. He was the inspiration for the main character in the BBC comedy series Rev.
Categories
After dinnerTV presentersSpeakerAuthorMotivationalHost / MCMusicianCommunicationsCultureDiversity
Known for
- Member of The Communards synth-pop band during the 1980s
- Co-presenter of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live for twelve years
- Guest appearances on television panel shows including Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You?, and QI
- Inspiration for the main character in BBC comedy series Rev
- Participant in Strictly Come Dancing in 2017
- Participant in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2024, finishing third
- Author of bestselling books including The Madness of Grief and The Canon Clement Mysteries
- After-dinner speaker and conference keynote speaker
- Church of England priest
- Broadcaster
- Author
- Speaker and host
- Religion and spirituality
- Music
- Broadcasting
- Literature
- Public speaking
- LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity
- Trust and ethics
- Housing and communities
- Grief and mental health
- Musician
Availability
Are you Richard Coles? Claim this profile