After Dinner SpeakersReverend Richard Coles is an English musician, journalist and a former Church of England priest.
He studied Theology at King’s College London. After his ordination, he worked as a curate in Lincolnshire and then at St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, in London.
Until his retirement in 2022, Richard Coles was a Parish Priest in Finedon, Northamptonshire.
He was the multi-instrumentalist who partnered with Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band The Communards. The duo achieved three Top Ten hits, including the Number 1 best-selling single of 1986, a club/dance version of “Don’t Leave Me This Way”.
Richard’s memoir Fathomless Riches: Or How I Went From Pop to Pulpit was published in hardback in October 2014 and paperback in September 2015. His second memoir, Bringing in the Sheaves, was published in October 2016.
Reverend Richard Coles was co-presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live and is regularly seen as a guest panellist on shows such as BBC One’s Have I Got News For You and QI.
Often described as ‘Britain’s most famous vicar‘, Richard was the inspiration for the main character in the BBC hit comedy Rev, a programme for which he also served as a consultant.
In the summer of 2016, he indulged a passion for fine cuisine by participating in the BBC’s prime-time programme Celebrity Masterchef.
In November 2024, Richard travelled down under to take part in ITV’s hit show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!‘.
Richard Coles’ work in the media and unique position as the only Vicar to have had a number-one hit record makes him a popular speaker on the after-dinner circuit, regaling many extraordinary and humorous tales of his journey from pop star to priest.
Richard Coles – After Dinner Speaker – “From Pop Star To Pulpit”
In his popular after-dinner speech, From Pop Star To Pulpit, 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 circumstances as a Church of England priest, radio broadcaster and television show panellist — which resonates with all sorts of people — and enables him to reach a wide audience, answering amongst many burning questions, “How do you go from pop star to priest? And why?”
Conference & Keynote Speaker
As a high-profile openly gay priest, Richard Coles is increasingly asked to address audiences around the themes of LGBT, Diversity and Inclusion.
He is also interested 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.
Richard is frequently asked to speak on other appropriate but perhaps less obvious speech themes, including Trust and Ethics, and CSR, to which he can bring a unique and fascinating perspective.
