Reverend Richard Coles is the fifth Strictly Come Dancing 2017 contestant, announced today (11 August) during Chris Evans' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
He is the fifth contestant, and the second who is male, to be announced for this year’s show.
MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STRICTLY COME DANCING 2017
He’s joining The Saturdays Mollie King, Eastenders star Davood Ghadami, Loose Women and This Morning presenter Ruth Langsford, and soap actress Gemma Atkinson.
Richard Coles is best known for being part of the band The Communards, alongside Jimmy Sommerville, the duo behind the dance hit Don’t Leave Me This Way.
He is also the regular host of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live radio show and co-hosted BBC One’s The Big Painting Challenge. In 2003 he began training for priesthood in the Church of England, and now also serves as a vicar at St Mary’s Church in Finedon, Northamptonshire.
On the announcement, Reverend Richard joked: ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the overweight Vicar with arthritis in his knees.’
We can’t wait to see him in action!
MORE: GOOD NEWS! THE STRICTLY 2017 CELEB LINE-UP IS ‘ALMOST COMPLETE’
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