Richard Coles (born 26 March 1962) is an English musician, journalist and Church of England priest. Now vicar of Finedon in Northamptonshire, he was formerly the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band The Communards, which achieved three Top Ten hits, including the Number 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a dance version of "Don\'t Leave Me This Way". He also appears frequently on radio and television as well as in newspapers. In March 2011 he became the regular host of BBC Radio 4\'s Saturday Live programme.\n', '

Coles was born in Northampton, England. He was educated at the independent Wellingborough School (where he was a choirboy) and at the South Warwickshire College of Further Education (Department of Drama & the Liberal Arts) in Stratford-upon-Avon. He later attended King\'s College London where he studied theology from 1990. He was awarded an MA by research from the University of Leeds in 2005 for work on the Greek text of the Epistle to the Ephesians.\n', '

Coles is openly gay and lives with his civil partner, the Reverend David Coles (né Oldham), in a celibate relationship. The Church of England has allowed priests to enter a civil partnership since 2005.\n', '

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