Reverend Richard Coles remembers late partner on his birthday after I’m A Celebrity journey
Reverend Richard Coles has shared a heartfelt tribute to his late husband, Reverend David Coles, following his return to the UK after competing in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
Upon arriving at Heathrow Airport, the 61-year-old reflected on his jungle experience, calling it "fantastic" and sharing his plans for a quiet Christmas.
“It was great, (I’m) very happy to be back in the UK. (The show was) amazing, the whole thing was just fantastic, and I had a great time,” Richard told PA news agency. When asked about his holiday plans, he joked, "Nothing, as little as possible, trying to persuade someone to make it for me."
But shortly after his return, Richard took to social media to honour what would have been his late husband David’s 48th birthday. David died in December 2019 at Kettering General Hospital due to alcohol addiction, after what was initially described as "a long illness".
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Richard shared a photo of David wearing a face mask, surrounded by their four dogs. Alongside the picture, he wrote: “David’s birthday today. He would have been forty-eight. RIP.”
The emotional post prompted an outpouring of love and support from followers. User @eliistender10: “Thinking of you and sending lots of love.” Another user @LAWellbeing wrote: “Sending lots of love and hugs. David would be very proud of you right now.”
During his time in the jungle, Richard spoke about his late partner, sharing touching memories with fellow campmates. In an emotional moment with Oti Mabuse, he confessed, “I miss him!”
He also recounted how their love story began. “I came to preach a sermon in his church, and he sort of picked me up afterwards!” he said with a smile. Reflecting further, Richard explained, “He heard me preach, and afterwards he said that he was thinking about getting ordained and could he come and talk to me about it. So he came round one Sunday for lunch, and it was all very proper and professional.”
Richard joined the I’m A Celebrity camp as a late addition alongside former Love Island star Maura Higgins. Quickly becoming a favourite among viewers and his fellow contestants, he finished in third place behind runner-up Coleen Rooney and winner Danny Jones.
Richard previously opened up about a regretful moment from his past, revealing he once pretended to have HIV during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
In an interview with The Times, the former vicar and media personality, who gained fame as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, described it as “the worst thing I’ve ever done.” “Pretending I had HIV was the worst thing I’ve ever done,” Coles admitted. “It was in the middle of the AIDS crisis. I went a bit bananas. A lot of people did.”