Reverend Richard Coles opens up on partner’s death in heart-to-heart with I’m A Celeb campmate Oti Mabuse

Reverend Richard Coles opens up on partner's tragic deathI’m a Celebrity.../ ITV

Transcript

00:002019, so it's five years at Christmas.

00:02I love Oti. We know each other from when we did Strictly together.

00:06And Oti knew David, my late partner.

00:09And it's a difficult conversation to have sometimes,

00:12but I think when someone is frank and candid and open with you

00:16and generous, then be frank and open and candid and generous back.

00:20How are you feeling now, or every Christmas?

00:25I miss him.

00:27And I want him to walk in the door.

00:29I had a dream he walked in the door and he was just carrying a co-op bag.

00:33He's only been shopping.

00:34And I said to him, I thought you were dead.

00:35And he said, no, no, I've just been out shopping.

00:38And I said, oh, that's nice to see you.

00:40Thanks for coming by.

00:41And he said, I'm not staying, I've met somebody else.

00:44But he's, I mean, he's just left a massive hole in my life.

00:48And I'm living my life around that loss.

00:50And I've met Dickie now, and that's great.

00:53So we're building a relationship together.

00:55But I just miss David very much.

00:58Can I ask how did he pass?

01:00He had an alcohol problem, let's see.

01:03And in the end, it was, he got alcoholic liver disease.

01:07And that's what killed him.

01:08He was 43.

01:10Oh, he was really young.

01:11Yeah, you know, you have to have a vicar.

01:15I deal with it all the time.

01:17I know what bereavement looks like.

01:18I know what to do.

01:19But when it happens to you, it's just like a bomb going off.

01:24Prior to my conversation with Richard,

01:26I think I saw him as this wise God who knew everything.

01:31But now, I see pain.