With three 1980s pop hits he was rolling in it... but he always danced to his own beat

Reverend Richard Coles played on some of the 1980s’ and 1990s’ biggest hits with Bronski Beat and The Communards. He scored three Top 10 hits, including Don’t Leave Me This Way. Since then he’s appeared on TV and radio, including on Have I Got News For You and Strictly Come Dancing. Watching Normal People led to his GAA conversion and the discovery that one of his cousins played county football. Describing hurling on Twitter as ‘the most vicious egg and spoon race I have ever seen’, he pledges allegiance to St Finbarr’s, due to his Cork connections. Richard’s book about the aftermath of his partner David’s death, The Madness Of Grief: A Memoir Of Love And Loss, is out now.

What did your parents teach you about money?

My father was extravagant and liked to spend money on having a lovely time and going to restaurants. I’ve certainly inherited that from him.

But at the same time, my parents thought debt was immoral. They’d never spend money they didn’t have. Some of that rubbed off on me, too. We had some comfortable years when [the family shoe-making] business was thriving. But in the 1970s, manufacturing collapsed and it took the shoe business with it. My dad had to sell the family business when I was a teenager and get a job working for someone else. All of a sudden, he couldn’t afford my younger brother’s fees and he was taken out of school.

How did that affect your attitude to money?

It made me careful to make sure I would always be able to provide. I set out to live a life that was not about materialism or money. But when I look back I see more of the Midlands manufacturer in me than I thought because I’ve always managed to earn a living and I’ve never been in debt.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

Yes, I ran away to London when I was 18 because I was gay. I was skint for about four years. I lived in a squalid flat in King’s Cross and signed on the dole. I remember going past phone boxes and always checking the coin return to see if there was a stray 10p. But I was in The Communards and in 1985 my life changed dramatically when I signed a recording contract. They gave me a cheque for £60,000. Unimaginable riches at the time.

How did life change when you became a pop star?

The first thing I did was buy a grand piano. I moved it into my damp little bedroom where I slept on a mattress on the floor. After that, I got busy touring and lost control of my life. I remember my accountant saying I needed to buy a home, so I did: a twobed Victorian flat in Kilburn, London, for £60,000. Then, he said I needed to buy a house, so I bought one that I had never seen – somebody sent me a fax about it. It was unreal.

Ever been paid silly money?

Yes. I sometimes earn more in a week doing corporate work than in a year as a vicar. I’ve done a lot of work on diversity with City law firms.

What was your best year financially?

It was 1988 – The Communards sold a lot of records. I have no idea how much I earned but I do remember depositing a cheque for £400,000.

What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun?

I rented a house for the summer in the South of France for £50,000 in the early 1990s and invited friends to stay. I don’t have the money to do it now as I spent it all then like an idiot.

What is your biggest money mistake?

I didn’t make money from housing in London in the 1980s. I bought a house in Islington for £160,000 at the peak, sold it during the trough. Now it’s worth about £1.5m.

Do you save into a pension?

Yes. I started saving when I was in my mid-20s, thanks to my manager. I’ve had the benefit of years of investment growth, but also guaranteed annuities – much harder to come by now. I don’t invest in the stock market outside of my pension. I prefer to invest in art.

Do you donate money to charity?

Yes. I give away a tenth of my income every year. It’s important to me as a Christian. I also do charity work.

What is your No.1 financial priority?

To have a safe and comfortable old age and ensure the people I care about are provided for. I think I will manage to do that. I’m much better with money now than I used to be.