03 February 2024 , 10:00
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Reverend Richard Coles has been left grieving as he revealed that his mum died on Thursday evening.
The 61 year old, who first rose to fame as a member of 80s band the Communards before later becoming a member of the clergy, posted a photo of his mum laughing on her wedding day as he shared the news on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote: "Mum died last night. Here she is on her wedding day, laughing. No mummy’s boy (hello) could have wised for more. RIP."
His friends took to the comments to offer their support, with David Baddiel writing: "Sorry to hear this Richard. May her memory be a blessing." Clive Myrie commented: "Sorry to hear that Richard." While Nigella Lawson commented: "I’m so sorry. May her memory be a blessing x."
It's been a tough five years for Richard, who competed on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 with Dianne Buswell. The vicar was left struggling in 2019 after the tragic death of his husband Reverend David Coles just days before Christmas. David, also a clergyman, was only 43 when he succumbed to alcoholic liver disease in 2019, caused by an addiction that had gripped him since his teenage years.
In 2021, he spoke about his heartbreak over David's death, explaining why he had wanted to keep the painful detail of his alcoholism private: “I often think if someone dies of drink as people used to say, that people filed them under a sort of tragic, squalid death. David was so much more than that. I wanted to get a sense of why David was so important to those who loved him before we got to a discussion of what killed him.”
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Last year, however, Richard spoke of finally finding love again through the help of online dating. Using Elite Singles, Richard explained in May that he was happily coupled up with Dickie Cant who is the son of late actor and Play Away presenter Brian Cant.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Richard recalls that Dickie made the first move and the rest is history. The pair enjoyed their first date at a Royal Horticultural Society, with the pair soon realising there was a spark. Richard revealed that Dickie doesn't care about fame, and that he in turn doesn't mind that Dickie is atheist.
In the interview he also addressed the grief and loss after his husband David died following his battle with alcoholism. Richard said: "I'm angry when people speak in a way that means they think you should be over it. It's not a cold. He also admitted that losing him "messed his f***ing life up."
In an extract from his book The Madness Of Grief: A Memoir Of Love And Loss, Richard, said: "It was really, really tough to see somebody you love destroy himself. It is like someone is drowning and you throw them a lifebelt but they are just not taking the lifebelt. And I did try everything I could think of to help him stop drinking, and in fairness to him he did try too, but it was too much for him."