Reverend Richard Coles has experienced a remarkable trajectory throughout his career. He has navigated a diverse range of fields, from the vibrant world of pop music and the sanctity of the pulpit to the realms of broadcasting, television, and the creation of bestselling fiction. Whispers among some reports suggest his personal fortune is in the region of £3.9 million, although this remains unconfirmed given the private nature of his financial affairs. His wealth has been accumulated over a period spanning more than four decades and across a variety of successful endeavors.
Coles’ first taste of fame was as a musician. He played the saxophone in the group Bronski Beat before establishing, with Jimmy Somerville, the group The Communards in 1985. They went on to have huge success with songs such as ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, the UK’s best-selling single of 1986, with record sales, touring and music royalties providing his first considerable income. The Communards disbanded in 1988 so Coles needed a new career, leading to his entry into public service.
He chose to study Theology and went on to be ordained as a Church of England priest in 2005. Reverend Coles served in several parishes across the country until taking on the role of vicar of St Mary the Virgin in Finedon, Northamptonshire, where he remained until his retirement from parish ministry in 2022. Clerical work provided him with a steady salary, though unlikely to compete with the fees paid for his public and broadcast work.
Broadcasting then became a significant element of his varied career. Reverend Coles co-hosted BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live for 12 years, has made appearances on, among others, QI, Have I Got News for You?, Would I Lie to You?, Celebrity MasterChef and Strictly Come Dancing and has been placed a commendable third in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! This work brought him considerable income via presentational and participation fees as well as an ever-growing audience for his live shows, podcasts and public appearances.
Writing is the most recent string to his bow and has brought him considerable further success. He has published spiritual memoirs and books on grief as well as an extremely successful series of mystery novels featuring Canon Clement. His first contribution to the series, Murder Before Evensong, was released in 2022 and income was generated from advances for the manuscripts and sales of the books themselves along with the audio versions of each book, foreign language publications of the titles and subsequent screen adaptations.
Coles achieved his financial success by reinventing himself; first and foremost through music, then through the priesthood and eventually through broadcasting and writing.