Reverend Richard Coles

With over two million listeners, the Reverend Richard Coles is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live. He regularly appears as a celebrity panellist on shows such as Have I Got News For You and QI, and has made guest appearances on Pointless Celebrities, Celebrity Mastermind, Alan Davies As Yet Untitled and Songs of Praise. In 2016 Richard reached the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef. Richard co-presents BBC One’s The Big Painting Challenge alongside Mariella Frostrup and took part in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Richard writes regularly for newspapers and magazines and has an occasional column in Woman’s Weekly.

He read Theology at King’s College London, and after ordination worked as a curate in Lincolnshire and subsequently at St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, in London. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band the Communards, which achieved three Top Ten hits, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a club/dance version of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”.

As a high-profile openly gay priest, Richard Coles is increasingly asked to address audiences around the themes of LGBT, Diversity and Inclusion. Richard is also frequently asked to speak on other appropriate, but perhaps less obvious speech themes, including trust and ethics, to which he can bring a unique and interesting perspective as a member of the clergy. Mostly for after dinners, Richard tells his unique life story of going from 80s pop star to broadcaster and priest.