Former Press newshound turned Church of England priest and Radio 2 star Matt Woodcock's new book, Being Reverend, is published on Thursday.

A follow-up to his 2016 bestseller Becoming Reverend, the new book tells the story of his first 18 months as an ordained priest at Holy Trinity Church in Hull.

It was a period in which he staged a sell-out beer festival in his church every year - and managed to walk real camels down Hull's main shopping street at Christmas.

"It was the wildest period of my life!" he told this newspaper. "By a mile!"

That's saying something. Because Matt - Woody to his friends - is by no means your average CofE minister.

His first book told of his journey from cheeky-chappie Press newshound to ordained church minister.

He was a cub reporter who loved playing pranks on colleagues and whose exclusives included the story of Ratty the terrier, who would hop on a Number Ten bus to ride to the Black Bull pub in Hull Road where a barmaid would feed him sausages.

Then came a Road of Damascus-style revelation.

Woody was driving to Selby Magistrates Court when he was overcome by a dizzy feeling. He pulled into a layby to pull himself together. “And as strange as it sounds, I felt an overwhelming sense that God had something urgent he wanted to tell me,” he wrote in Becoming Reverend.“Either that, or someone had spiked my pot noodle.”

These days he's based at St Barnabas Church in Leeman Road and St Paul's in Holgate. And he makes regular appearances on Zoe Ball's Radio 2 Breakfast show.

But he's lost none of his sense of humour. “What does it say about me and my faith if I have a face like a slapped backside?” he once told The Press.

He describes his likes as 'Sky Sports News, York City FC and Oasis' and his dislikes as 'pews, dull sermons, organs and golf'.

And he says he has a 'high excitement threshold'.

He's certainly excited about the upcoming publication of his new book.

"But also a bit nervous!" he said. "I've had quite a whirlwind journey since leaving The Press newsroom. I hope the book raises a few smiles during these difficult days, provides an interesting talking point and reminds people to seek joy and adventure wherever they find themselves."

Being Reverend by Matt Woodcock is published by Church House Publishing on Thursday, priced £9.99 in paperback.