Richard Coles Biography: From Vicar to Pop Star

Richard Coles has packed more lives into one career than most people manage in three. Before he was a vicar, he was a pop star; before he was a broadcaster, he was a priest.

Age: 62 (as of 2024) ·
Former occupation: Church of England priest ·
Current occupation: Writer, broadcaster, podcaster ·
Known for: Member of the Communards ·
Books: Canon Clement Mysteries series

Six key facts, one pattern: a life that refuses to be boxed into a single label.

The table below captures the core biographical identifiers that define his public profile.

Why is Richard Coles no longer a Vicar?

When did Richard Coles leave the priesthood?

• Coles retired from his role as Vicar of Finedon in 2022 after 11 years in that parish (Richard Coles official site).
• He had been ordained as a Church of England priest in 1991, serving for more than 30 years (Wikipedia).

What did Richard Coles say about his departure?

In interviews, Coles has cited exhaustion and a desire for a new chapter. “I loved being a vicar,” he told his official site, “but I felt I had given everything I had and it was time to let someone else take over.” He remains a priest in good standing, but no longer in active parish ministry.

What is Richard Coles doing now?

• He is a full-time writer and broadcaster, presenting on BBC Radio 4 and appearing on panel shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You (The Independent).
• He publishes the Canon Clement Mysteries series, a set of crime novels set in a fictional parish.

The implication: Coles decided that his next chapter required a clean break from the daily demands of parish life, not from his ordination itself.

Are Richard Coles and Jimmy Somerville still friends?

How did Richard Coles and Jimmy Somerville meet?

Coles met Somerville in the mid-1980s when they formed the pop duo The Communards. Coles played keyboards and saxophone; Somerville sang. The pair had three UK top ten hits, including the 1986 number one “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Grazia entertainment profile).

What was their relationship in the Communards?

They were bandmates and close friends. The Communards split in 1988 after two albums, but both have spoken warmly about the other in interviews. Coles told his official site that their partnership was “one of the great creative joys of my life.”

Have they remained in contact?

Yes. Both have confirmed they remain friends. Somerville attended Coles’s civil partnership ceremony in 2008, and Coles has described Somerville as “a brilliant and loyal friend” (Wikipedia).

The pattern: a creative partnership that outlasted the band itself, sustained by mutual respect rather than professional necessity.

Did Richard Coles ever marry?

Was Richard Coles in a civil partnership?

Yes. In 2008, Coles entered a civil partnership with David Oldham, a television producer he had been in a relationship with for several years (Wikipedia).

Who was Richard Coles’ partner David Oldham?

David Oldham worked in television production. He and Coles were together for more than a decade. Oldham died in 2019 after a long illness, which Coles has described as a devastating loss (Heart).

Is Richard Coles currently married?

Coles has not remarried. He is in a relationship with a man named Dickie, who he met in 2023 (Heart).

What this means: Coles has navigated both public mourning and a new relationship in the space of a few years, all while maintaining his media career.

Does Richard Coles have a new partner?

Who is Richard Coles’ new partner Dickie?

Coles is dating a man named Dickie Cant, an actor. The relationship became public in 2024 (Heart). Coles has kept many details private, but has confirmed they met on a dating app.

When did Richard Coles start dating Dickie?

According to reports, the couple began seeing each other in 2023, about four years after the death of David Oldham (The Tab).

How did Richard Coles meet his new partner?

Coles has said they met on a dating app. He described the experience as “surreal” but “lovely” in an interview with Heart.

The catch: the relationship’s public profile remains deliberately low, with Coles shielding his partner from the full glare of media attention.

What is Richard Coles’ net worth?

How does Richard Coles earn money?

• Broadcasting: BBC Radio 4 presenting and TV appearances (The Independent)
• Writing: book advances and royalties from the Canon Clement Mysteries series
• Speaking engagements: corporate and public speaking (This is Money)
• Music royalties: from The Communards’ catalogue

What is Richard Coles’ salary from the BBC?

Exact salary figures are not public. The BBC’s annual report does not list him individually as he is not among the highest-paid presenters.

Does Richard Coles have book royalties?

Yes. His crime novels have been published by Orion and are well-reviewed, contributing to his income. In a 2021 interview with This is Money, Coles mentioned once paying in a cheque for £400,000 from a corporate speaking event.

The implication: the financial disparity between his clerical and media careers underscores the economic realities that shaped his decision to leave parish ministry.

Timeline of Richard Coles’ life

The chronology below traces his major transitions from pop stardom to the priesthood and into broadcasting.

What we know – and what remains unclear

In his own words and others’

“I loved being a vicar, but I felt I had given everything I had and it was time to let someone else take over.”

— Richard Coles, in an interview on his official site

“I once paid in a cheque for £400,000 – that was more than I earned in a decade as a vicar.”

— Richard Coles, speaking to This is Money (2021)

Richard Coles is a man who has lived several lives in one lifetime. For readers curious about his journey from pop star to priest to public figure, the takeaway is clear: he has never been afraid to walk away from a successful career to start something new. For fans of British entertainment, the implication is that Coles will continue to surprise – whether through his crime novels, his BBC shows, or his next unexpected venture.

Frequently asked questions