THE UK’S only vicar to have a number one single entertained an audience of hundreds as part of York Literature Festival.

The Reverend Richard Coles, who had a major hit with ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ when he was a member of the pop duo The Communards, discussed his life experiences during the talk at St Peter’s School in Clifton, York.

Coles, who was celebrating his birthday, talked about his path to fame and how he has managed to reconcile that with his faith and his commitments to his parish of Finedon, Northamptonshire.

He also engaged in some thought-provoking and challenging discussion on the church’s attitude towards the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community and his experiences of the 1980’s AIDS crisis, explaining how his faith is central to every aspect of his life. Ben Fuller, who hosted the evening, said: “It was a pleasure to have Richard here to share his anecdotes and experiences from such a rich and varied life.

“Ending the evening by presenting Richard with a birthday cake was the perfect way to thank him for a truly excellent talk.”