Rev Richard Coles reunites with camp best friend GK Barry after I’m A Celeb final
REVEREND Richard Coles has reunited with his camp best friend GK Barry after last night’s I’m A Celeb final.
More than 10 million votes were cast to decide between the finalists, with McFly singer Danny Jones, 38, taking the crown, WAG Coleen Rooney, 38, coming second and third place going to Richard, 62.
While he wasn’t crowned King of the Jungle, the former Communards star appeared to be in high spirits as he headed back to the five-star JW Marriott Gold Coast hotel.
Dressed in his camp atire, Richard was greeted with open arms by his co-stars, including podcaster GK, 25, whom he had a particularly close relationship with.
Tulisa was not there, however, after she fled Australia and missed the final, erasing all trace of her time in the jungle from her social media.
In the latest series, ITV viewers saw the Strictly alum share his coming out story in an emotional heart to heart with GK.
Viewers were fascinated as the duo discussed how he juggled being gay with his religion.
GK, real name Grace Keeling, had asked: “Did you find it quite difficult being gay and doing that job?”
Richard confessed: “No, not at all. I’ve never given it a moment’s twinge of anxiety over whether God thought it was alright or not.
“Whether other people thought it was alright or not, well I’m happy to have that argument…”
He added: “Also, I was not the first.
“Sometimes I look at documents from the early church, or the church of the middle ages and I just think – so gay.”
The conversation brought the campmates closer together – as they both reflected on their new friendship.
GK admitted in the Bush Telegraph: “I came into this jungle, maybe not knowing who I would gel with or who I would be close with in here and never in a million years if you told me that I would be getting on best with a reverend would I have believed you.
“But, he is honestly… I think he might be my favourite person in here.”
GK told Richard she used to be religious, and spoke about going to a religious camp when she was younger.
She told how there were men there telling her not to have sex before she was married.
GK said that even at 13, she thought: “Well, that’s not gonna happen.”
Then the topic of conversation moved along to GK asking Richard who the most interesting person that he thinks he’s met. Richard replied: “I think I’m looking at her.”
Richard and his late partner Rev David Coles, a Church of England vicar, had been together for 12 years and were in a a civil partnership.
In 2019, his husband sadly passed away.
There was limited detail about his death until two years later when the I’m A Celebrity star revealed David had died from alcoholism.
In an extract from his book The Madness Of Grief: A Memoir Of Love And Loss, Richard, said: “It was really, really tough to see somebody you love destroy himself.
“It is like someone is drowning and you throw them a lifebelt but they are just not taking the lifebelt.
“And I did try everything I could think of to help him stop drinking, and in fairness to him he did try too, but it was too much for him.”