Reverend Richard Coles, the well-known broadcaster, former vicar, and TV personality, has revealed a surprising birthday present to himself—a weight-loss drug called Ozempic. The decision comes as Coles looks to shed two stone for health reasons. Speaking to The Times, Coles explained, “My birthday present to myself was Ozempic, because I’m too fat and I want to lose some weight – it’s affecting my health, I think.”
The 63-year-old, who gained fame as a member of the 1980s band The Communards, acknowledged that although he could lose weight through traditional methods, his busy schedule makes it difficult to achieve. “Realistically, I need all the help I can get,” he said. Coles, who stepped down as a Church of England vicar in 2022, admitted that after just two days on the medication, he already feels a noticeable difference. “My stomach feels a bit different, not unpleasantly, weirdly low in appetite. It seems to be diminished,” he said.
However, Coles is cautious about becoming dependent on the drug. “I want to get down to a reasonable weight and then maintain it without the assistance of pharmacy,” he clarified, setting his goal at losing two stone.
Despite his health goals, Coles remains grounded about his fitness routine. “I’d love to tell you that I take to the hills, with a bounce in my stride and I cycle for 150 miles a week, but I don’t,” he said with a smile.
A New Podcast Series: The Apple and The Tree
Coles is also venturing into new territory as the host of the second season of The Apple and The Tree, a podcast where he facilitates candid and emotional conversations between celebrities and their adult children. The show aims to tackle difficult topics that are often avoided in family dynamics. Guests in the current series include broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and her daughter Saskia, politician Michael Gove and his son William, and Sunday Brunch’s Simon Rimmer and his daughter Flo.
Coles explained the core concept of the podcast: “It’s children understanding that their parents are not omnipotent deities, but frail humans like they are, and parents understanding that children need to live their own lives too, separate from the lives their parents want for them.” Reflecting on his own experiences, Coles said, “I’ve spent quite a chunk of my conscious existence thinking, ‘I wish I’d had that conversation with them.’”
A Journey Through Grief
Grief has been a significant part of Coles’ life, both personally and professionally. His mother, Elizabeth, passed away in February 2024, and his father, Nigel, died in 2018. “I was very close to my mum, and she was not a person who had ever been described as reticent; she was forthcoming and funny,” Coles shared. “My father was very introspective. Quite a lot was said without being spoken. I knew my father loved me and he knew I loved him.”
In addition to the loss of his parents, Coles also experienced the death of his husband, Rev. David Coles, in 2019 after a prolonged battle with alcoholism. Reflecting on the experience, he shared, “I thought I was pretty good at helping people through their grief until I was bereaved myself, and I realised I hadn’t really understood how when you are bereaved, you get mad, and also it’s exhausting because it’s such a slog.”
Coles also opened up about his struggles as the partner of someone battling addiction. “Being the partner of an alcoholic, I think, was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to try to cope with,” he said. “But through sharing my experience, I’ve tried to connect with others in the same position.”
While the topic of alcoholism remains often misunderstood, Coles emphasizes the importance of seeing the person beyond their addiction. “I think we need to not see that person simply as a function of addiction. They’re a whole person, and they have attributes and characteristics of nuance and complexity,” he explained.
On Strength and Self-Acceptance
When asked whether he considers himself a strong person, Coles was candid. “No, not particularly,” he admitted. “I’ve taken some flack in my time and I have some bruises and scars, but that’s life, isn’t it? I wouldn’t want a life where I felt that I hadn’t risked anything just to save myself from a scar.”
Coles also reflected on his journey of self-acceptance. “There are lots of things I’ve done which I wish I hadn’t done, but the sum total is of a life that is lived as fully as possible,” he said. The process of accepting himself, he noted, became easier as he grew older. “The nice thing is that you stop thinking you’re in competition with people, and you just accept the realities of yourself and the realities of them,” he explained.
His decision to come out as gay, which he did at the age of 16, was a pivotal moment in his life. “I grew up in a world which was hostile [towards gay people] and then when I was 16 I came out to the surprise of absolutely no one,” he said with a laugh. “And I think it was very good for me. It made me realise that there are certain ‘givens’ about people and you just have to accept them.”
A Celebrity Favourite
Coles’ status as a beloved public figure was solidified during his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2024, where he made it to the final alongside winner Danny Jones and Coleen Rooney. Coles reflected on his unexpected friendship with 25-year-old influencer GK Barry, calling it a “bromance” of sorts.
The Strictly Come Dancing and QI veteran also shared his experience sleeping in a hammock in the jungle: “You’d think sleeping in a hammock in the jungle would not give you a good night’s sleep but I slept like a baby. I think there might be something quite primitive within us that remembers what it was like to sleep around a campfire and be surrounded by nature.”
Coles’ authenticity and self-acceptance are qualities that continue to resonate with fans. As he puts it, “I have always tried very hard to deny inconvenient realities about myself, but can’t be ar*ed with that anymore.”
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