Reverend Richard Coles has revealed how boyfriend Dickie Cant helped him enjoy life again after his husband’s death.
Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, he explained how Dickie respects his continuing grief for David Oldham.
The broadcaster once thought his thirties would be his best decade. Now, he says he is particularly enjoying his sixties.
“Life’s great now,” he said.
“I thought my thirties would be my best decade, and they were great, but I’m really enjoying my sixties. I’ve got really good friends; I’ve got a new partner who’s fantastic.”
Richard Coles and boyfriend Dickie Cant’s plans at home
Richard, 64, has been with the 62-year-old actor for four years, having met through a dating app.
The couple share a home in East Sussex. Their plans include getting a dog, although they have not settled on a breed.
Richard would like a Cardigan Welsh corgi. Dickie is less convinced about that particular choice.
“He’s not so keen on that, but we’re going to work on it,” Richard said.
They had hoped to welcome a dog this autumn, but have postponed those plans. Dickie has secured an acting job that will keep him away until Christmas.
His acting credits include The Crown, where he played Richard Hastings MP. He also appeared in Channel 4’s It’s A Sin.
Dickie is the son of late children’s television presenter Brian Cant. Richard suggested that growing up with a famous father helped Dickie avoid some of celebrity’s pitfalls.
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Richard Coles on grieving his husband David Oldham
Richard also explained why Dickie’s approach to his bereavement means so much.
His husband, fellow priest David Oldham, died from alcohol-related liver disease in 2019. He was 43.
Richard and David had been in a civil partnership for nine years.
Richard explained that Dickie recognises the grief belongs to him, rather than treating it as something they share.
“And he also knows [the loss] is not his, but it’s mine,” he said.
Richard also reflected on the pain of being unable to stop David’s drinking. Looking back, he regretted becoming angry with David during his illness.
He said he had always been determined to stay with his husband.
David remains part of Richard’s life, and he still sometimes says his late husband’s name aloud.
But Richard described gradually finding room for more than grief. Over time, he began rebuilding a life that was no longer entirely shaped by bereavement.
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