Broadcast & Media
The Reverend Richard Coles was, until March 2023, co-presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live, with over two million regular listeners; a role he proudly held for 12 years. In 2026, he co-presented Oti & Richard’s South African Odyssey (4×60, More4) with his good friend Oti Mabuse and in 2025 he presented Sailing The Shipping Forecast (4×60, More4). In November 2024, Richard flew out to the Australian jungle to participate in the 24th series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! A late entry to the show, he made it through to the final three contestants.
In 2022, Channel 4 announced that a series of guest presenters will join Countdown — the channel’s longest running and iconic programme — as the daytime show celebrated its 40th anniversary. Richard presented a weeklong stint (the other eminent presenters and fans of Countdown were Baroness Floella Benjamin, Sir Trevor McDonald and Moira Stuart) during a month of celebrations.
In digital media, Richard Coles has hosted several podcasts including The Rabbit Hole Detectives, alongside Dr Cat Jarman and Earl Charles Spencer (Folding Pocket, 2023–2025), The Apple & The Tree (The Mail, 2025), and Catching Up With The Royals with royal columnist Emily Andrews (Channel 5, 2026).
Previously, in 2016, Richard reached the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef and in 2017 he co-presented BBC One’s The Big Painting Challenge alongside Mariella Frostrup, which returned in 2018 for a second series. Also in 2017, Richard joined the line-up of BBC1’s hit prime-time show Strictly Come Dancing – he exited the show on week two of voting.
Additionally, Richard regularly appears as a guest panelist on programmes such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You?, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, QI, University Challenge, Pointless Celebrities, The Crystal Maze, Celebrity Mastermind, Alan Davies As Yet Untitled and Songs of Praise — to name but a few.
He writes regularly for broadsheet newspapers and magazines.
Sizzle Reel
Across factual entertainment, travel, documentary, live television, entertainment and current affairs, The Reverend Richard Coles brings the same combination of curiosity, intelligence, warmth and dry humour — whether travelling through South Africa, exploring the communities and stories behind The Shipping Forecast, navigating the celebrity jungle, guest-presenting Countdown, or reflecting on a life that has already encompassed pop music, the priesthood, broadcasting and bestselling fiction.
For producers and commissioners, that breadth of experience makes Richard an unusually versatile presence and a safe pair of hands: equally comfortable leading a thoughtful factual programme, meeting contributors on location, handling unscripted moments or bringing wit and perspective to entertainment formats.
