Reverend Richard Coles is behind number one 80s hit that ‘made women throw knickers’

Reverend Richard Coles had a very famous hit (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)

Reverend Richard Coles is currently competing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, but his stardom began long ago.

While living in the Australian jungle (or national park to be specific), the 62-year-old has been entertaining the nation with his eye-opening friendship with GK Barry, and his Jungle Junkyard deceit.

The sweet-natured campmate, who is currently third favourite to win behind Danny Jones and Coleen Rooney, has also been opening up more about his early days of fame. Richard has revealed that releasing Don’t Leave Me This Way changed his life, before he went onto a different path.

Let’s take a look back at Richard’s long and varied career…

Which band was Reverend Richard Coles in?

Richard was part of 1980s pop group The Communards, alongside Jimmy Sommerville.

The Communards had three top 10 singles (Picture: Tim Roney/Getty Images)

Classically-trained musician Richard had been performing the clarinet solos on Jimmy’s band Bronski Beat hit It Ain’t Necessarily So. When Jimmy, 63, parted ways with the group, they formed a duo and quickly found fans.

Together they had three top 10 UK singles including So Cold the Night and a cover version of Jackson 5’s Never Can Say Goodbye, before splitting in 1988 to pursue individual passions.

What was Reverend Richard Coles’ biggest hit?

The Communards’ cover of Don’t Leave Me This Way featuring Sarah Jane Morris, originally by Harold Melvin, went to number one in the UK and stayed there for four whole weeks in September 1986.

On last night’s episode, it was the 2024 I’m A Celeb cast that had a go at performing it while enjoying an evening at the Jungle Arms.

Alan pointed out that while most of the cast could tackle the chorus, the verses posed more of a challenge.

While not everyone knows all the words, the catchy hook led to Don’t Leave Me This Way becoming the best-selling UK single of 1986. When ITV conducted a poll of the nation’s favourite number one 1980s hits, it finished in a very honourable 16th place.

During a chat with his campmates, Richard spoke about how this song made him feel famous for the first time.

‘The big thing for us came when we had Don’t Leave Me This Way and it was number one for weeks and weeks, and I remember we were playing in Ireland and we were booked into a sports stadium,’ he recalled.

The lyrics even led to a very outward show of appreciation from fans: ‘We came on stage and there was this barrage of knickers. All these girls threw their knickers.’

‘Never in the history of recorded sound did a girl throw her knickers at a band to less effect than to The Communards, I think Jimmy made a scrunchie out of a pair of them and that was it,’ he joked. Both Richard and Jimmy are gay men.

Does Reverend Richard Coles still make music?

Jimmy went on to become a solo artist, but Richard decided to leave music behind.

Richard balanced his priesthood and broadcasting careers (Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images)

After ‘the best of times, the worst of times’ he found religion and became ordained in 2005. He worked as a curate at both St Botolph’s Church in Boston, Lincolnshire and St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge in London.

He then served as a parish priest in Northamptonshire for 11 years until his retirement in 2022.

As well as priesthood, Richard has had a successful broadcasting career on Radio 3, Radio 4 and BBC Two. He has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, QI, Have I Got News For You, Songs of Praise, and Celebrity MasterChef to name a few.

Richard has also written several best-selling mystery novels and memoirs, which have all added to his fortune (Richard is a millionaire!) over his 40 years in the spotlight.

Speaking about the difficulties of balancing both sides of his life, Richard previously said: ‘I was once called in the middle of the night to attend a parishioner’s deathbed and I could not because I was in Glasgow doing Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. I found someone to cover, but it should have been me.’

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1.

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