How ITV I'm A Celeb's Reverend Richard Coles' found love again after husband's death

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant Reverend Richard Coles has left fans heartbroken with the news that his husband passed away at the tender age of 43. The 62 year old clergyman endured the loss of his spouse, David Oldham, also a member of the clergy, in 2019 due to liver disease resulting from a long-standing battle with alcohol addiction that began in his teens.

The couple first crossed paths when David, a former A&E nurse, approached Richard for guidance on joining the choir. They tied the knot in a civil partnership in 2010, with David adopting Richard's last name.

Sadly, David's life came to an end nine years later. It was only recently that Richard disclosed the cause of his death.

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He reflected: "I often think if someone dies of drink, as people used to say, that people filed them under a sort of tragic, squalid death.", reports the Mirror.

In discussing why he initially kept David's struggle with alcoholism private, he added: "David was so much more than that. I wanted to get a sense of why David was so important to those who loved him before we got to a discussion of what killed him."

'I did everything to try and help David'.

In conversation with Radio Times, Richard divulged: "My husband David died of alcoholic liver disease just before Christmas 2019. He was 43, a clergyman, and a former A&E charge nurse."

"Not an obvious victim, you might think, of alcoholism, but he had been drinking excessively since his teenage years, as a palliative – alcohol is the most readily available anaesthetic in the world – and as a recreation."

In his 2021 memoir "In his 2021 memoir The Madness of Grief: A Memoir of Love and Loss, Richard described how tough it was ", Richard spoke candidly about the heartbreak of witnessing self-destruction in a loved one. He confessed: "It's 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."

But 2023 brings happier times as Richard revealed that he has found love again with esteemed actor Richard Cant, affectionately known as Dickie. At 60 years young, Dickie boasts roles in productions such as 'War Horse', 'Doctor Who', 'It's a Sin', and 'Midsomer Murders'.

Their romance blossomed after meeting on the dating app Elite Singles two years prior. Sharing details with ITV's Lorraine, Richard expressed his delight in the platform: "Best invention of civilisation. It was called Elite Singles which was a bit embarrassing because I wasn't elite... The third person I met is the person I'm with now."

He further explained his quest for companionship: "I wanted to go on a website where I would meet someone who was not looking for a sugar daddy, who was my age, who lived in my sort of world, who I could share my life with.'".

On their first date at the Royal Horticultural Society and discussing new beginnings with Maura Higgins on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!', Richard shared the serendipity of his encounter: "didn't see it coming". They say love often arrives when least expected, and for Richard, this surprise was most welcome.

Catch up on more heartwarming revelations with Richard on tonight's episode of 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! ' at 9 pm on ITV1.