Reverend Richard Coles confessed ‘death is often followed by dating’ as he offered hopeful advice to a grieving widow and her son.

In a special episode on the The Apple & The Tree podcast, which was sponsored by Marie Curie, Richard, 62, shared his guidance on grief – following the death of his late husband David.

David sadly pᴀssed away after battle with alcoholism in 2019 aged just 42.

Richard is now dating actor Dickie, 60, the son of Brian Cant, who presented children’s TV shows such as Playschool and Dappledown Farm in the 60s and 70s.

But the decision to date again after David’s death was a very difficult one, and it took him three years to even consider it. 

In the bittersweet conversation about grief, Richard insisted it’s okay to move on after losing loved ones after time. 

In this deeply moving conversation, Reverend Richard welcomes Ben Jones and his mother, Liz, as they reflect on the vital role Marie Curie played in helping them care for Ben’s late father, Brent. Listen here.

Reverend Richard Coles, 62, confessed ‘death is often followed by dating’ as he offered hopeful advice to a grieving widow and her son

David sadly pᴀssed away after battle with alcoholism in 2019 aged just 42 (pictured together) 

The son said: ‘I went on this blind date just before Christmas. So my dad died in the November, and on the December, the 23rd, I went on a blind date. 

‘Cause nothing says get out into the mud, into the dating field like having a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ dad to talk about. But let me think…’

Richard interjected ‘death is often followed by dating’ as he attempted to reᴀssure the guest it was okay.

Richard and Dickie met on the dating site Elite Singles and the pair hit it off straight away.

He has even suggested that marriage could soon be on the cards, telling The Times he could ‘imagine it heading that way’. 

The actor, from Kent, has starred in Mary Queen of Scots, Stan & Ollie and Doctor Who.

Opening up about his grief with Oti Mabuse on I’m A Celebrity last year, Richard admitted: ‘I miss him. And I want him to walk in the door. 

‘I had a dream he walked in the door and he was just carrying a Co-op bag, just like he’d been shopping and I said to him “I thought you were ᴅᴇᴀᴅ” and he said “No I was just out shopping”.

In a special episode on the The Apple & The Tree podcast , which was sponsored by Marie Curie, Richard, 62, shared his guidance on grief – following the death of his late husband David

But the decision to date again after David’s death was a very difficult one, and it took him three years to even consider it and during his time in the jungle the star admitted he left a ‘mᴀssive hole in his life’ 

‘I said “It’s nice to see you, thanks for coming back” to which he said “Oh I’m not staying, I met somebody else”,’ Richard added, to which he and Oti began to laugh.

‘But he’s just a mᴀssive hole in my life and I’m living my life around that loss and I’ve met Dickie now, and that’s great.

‘So we’re in a relationship now together but I just miss David very much.’

Richard and David met back in 2007 and entered a civil partnership three years later in 2010.  

Revealing how they met during I’m A Celeb he explained that David had heard him preach a sermon before ‘picking him up’ after Church. 

He added that he hadn’t even realised he was romantically interested in him until he received a special text from him.

Richard said: ‘I came to preach a sermon in his church and he sort of picked me up afterwards!’

Elaborating, he said of David: ‘He heard me preach and afterwards he said that he was thinking about getting ordained and could he come and talk to me about it. So he came round one Sunday for lunch and it was all very proper and professional’.

Richard is now dating actor Dickie, 60, who is the son of Brian Cant, who presented children’s TV shows such as Playschool and Dappledown Farm in the 60s and 70s (pictured in 2019)  

Read More I’m A Celebrity’s Reverend Richard Coles reveals heartbreaking dreams about late husband

He then explained how they talked and talked but Richard had to dash off to church, so David asked if he could come and talk to Richard again.

As Richard agreed they’d sort something in a month or six weeks, he got to church and his phone pinged, and it was a text from David saying: ‘Don’t you get it?’.

Richard then joked that that was when the penny dropped.

The star previously said David was ‘probably’ already an alcoholic, but neither of them was aware.

Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Richard said David had ‘always had an enthusiastic fondness for alcohol’.

He said: ‘An enthusiastic fondness for alcohol when you’re 20 or 25 is one thing, when you’re 35 or 40 it’s another thing and his drinking just got out of control’.

The Apple & The Tree special episode, hosted by Richard Coles, in partnership with Marie Curie is out now and available on all podcast platforms now.