Reverend Richard Coles

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The Reverend Richard Coles is a Church of England priest in the quintessentially English village of Finedon, Northamptonshire, where two of his ancestors were Vicars in the seventeenth century. However, in stark contrast, more than 25 years ago, Richard was the instrumentalist half of the pop band The Communards, along with Jimmy Somerville.

During the 1980s, The Communards had three UK Top 10 hits, including Never Can Say Goodbye and the best-selling single of 1986, Don't Leave Me This Way. This makes him uniquely positioned as the world’s only Vicar to have had a number one hit record.

Richard co-hosts BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live and is also a regular contributor to ‘Pause for Thought’ on the Radio 2 Chris Evans Breakfast Show. He's a frequent guest panelist on shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You? and QI. Often called Britain's most famous vicar, Richard was the inspiration for the main character in the BBC hit comedy Rev, a show for which he also served as a consultant. In 2017, Richard was a contestant on BBC’s BAFTA-winning prime-time show Strictly Come Dancing.

Richard Coles grew up in Northamptonshire and attended a minor public school where he was a chorister and, to his horror, realized he was gay. As a young adult, he moved to London to work as a session musician in theatre. In 1983, he joined the pop group Bronski Beat as a sax player where he met Jimmy Somerville. The following year, Jimmy and Richard left to form The Communards.

Success came quickly, and they had the UK's best-selling single of 1986, but Richard was not comfortable with the sudden fame. He was the gawky, bespectacled, musically trained geek who towered over the extroverted Somerville but was otherwise overshadowed. Tensions grew, and it was against this backdrop of drug-fueled arguments that Richard conceived a deception that ultimately drove him away from his pop music career and toward a more fulfilling vocation with God.

In 1990, after attending a mass at St Alban's, Richard Coles was suddenly inspired with newfound faith. He earned a theology degree at King's College, London, before returning to Northamptonshire where he began to seriously consider taking holy orders. After ten years as a Roman Catholic, he reverted to Anglicanism, and in 2005, Richard was ordained into the Anglican priesthood and now lives with his civil partner David, also a priest, in their vicarage, which is gradually being destroyed by their four dachshunds.

With a particular interest in housing communities, Richard serves as a board member of Wellingborough Homes, providing social and affordable housing in the borough where he lives, and in 2017 became honorary Chancellor of the University of Northampton.

Reverend Richard Coles' work as a broadcaster, priest, and formative years in the music industry makes him a delightfully entertaining, articulate, and very funny after-dinner speaker. He recalls many extraordinary and humorous anecdotes of his journey from pop star to priest; he is also regularly in demand to host corporate and society award dinners.

Reverend Richard Coles' books include: Fathomless Riches and Bringing in the Sheaves.

• Speaker Topics:

After Dinner Speaking - “From Pop Star To Parson”
Having addressed audiences as varied as local Government Ministers in Marlow and the Independent Schools' Bursars Association to international travel agents in Abu Dhabi and the British Medical Association, Richard has honed a highly original, humorous, and captivating after-dinner speech that will appeal to all audiences.

There aren’t many Church of England priests that can claim to have had a British Number 1 hit single... in fact, to date, the Reverend Richard Coles is the one and only, as part of the highly successful pop duo The Communards.

In his popular after-dinner speech, From Pop Star To Parson, Richard Coles tells a story that is as real as it is unlikely. He connects the euphoria and mayhem of being ‘Top of The Pops’ in the 80s — which resonates with audiences of that era — to his present circumstances as a Church of England priest, radio broadcaster, and television show panelist, enabling him to reach a wide audience and answering among many burning questions, “How do you go from pop star to priest? And why?"

• Conference & Keynote Speaking:

As a high-profile openly gay priest, Richard Coles is increasingly asked to address audiences around the themes of:

• LGBT
• Diversity
• Inclusion
• Trust 
• Ethics 

His talk on Trust and Ethics brings a unique and interesting perspective as a member of the clergy. 
He also has a particular interest in housing and building communities — he is on the board of a housing association – Wellingborough Homes – and has spoken to several national conferences on this theme.

• Award Ceremony Hosting:

In addition to after-dinner and conference speaking, the Reverend Richard Coles is also hugely popular and in demand as a host for award ceremonies; from Third Sector awards for charities to the likes of the British Parking Awards; British Damage Management Association Awards; British Medical Association Research Grant Awards Dinner; Association of Car Fleet Operators; IT Service Management Forum Awards; Ophthalmology Awards; Investor Relations Society Best Practice Awards; The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Awards; Supersavers Bestseller Awards; Test Valley Business Awards & Dinner; Croydon College Awards and Planning Awards to name a few.

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