From pop fame to the pulpit... and now Strictly
AS unlikely contestants go, he is probably up there with the ex-Shadow Chancellor.
For the Reverend Richard Coles is to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up – as the show’s first ever vicar.
The arthritic 55-year-old – who describes himself as a little overweight – yesterday announced he will be taking part in the BBC programme’s next series.
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the overweight vicar with arthritis in his knees,’ he said.
Rev Coles, who is openly gay and lives with his civil partner in a celibate relationship, has already been billed as the ‘next Ed Balls’ among fans, who hope he will bring the same comedy factor as the former Labour MP did last year.
Rev coles is also the only vicar in the UK to have had a number one single, as keyboard player for pop band The Communards. The group had the biggest-selling single of 1986 with Don’t Leave Me This Way.
It remains to be seen how Rev Coles will react being surrounded by glamourous women wearing skimpy outfits on the dancefloor.
Singer and model Mollie King, from girl band The Saturdays, has already been revealed as a contestant. The 30-year-old has been known for her raunchy outfits in the past.
Former glamour model Gemma Atkinson, 32, has also joined the lineup for the family-friendly show, and is no stranger to skimpy outfits. The new professional dancers on the show include Nadiya Bychkova, a Ukrainian ex-Playboy model.