Reverend Richard Coles has opened up about dealing with grief following the tragic loss of his partner, David, who died aged 42 in December 2019.
READ: Reverend Richard Coles shares heartbreaking post following death of partner
Speaking to The Guardian back in March, Richard spoke candidly about dealing with the loss, and how people have rushed to help him. He explained: "After David died, there was a woman at the hospital who had been widowed, too. She said, 'You're going to be mad, for a while. People will never be as nice to you again as they are now, so milk it for all you can.'"
David passed away in 2019
He added: "I've had to subtract David from the future and that has taken all the future with it. It’s a bit blank. I think: ‘What the [expletive] am I going to do? Play the accordion and go to bed at ten past six, I guess. Of course, it’s not the end of my life. But it feels like it’s over sometimes."
David died from complications following surgery
READ: Rev Richard Coles reveals he is being trolled following partner's death
MORE: Reverend Richard Coles hilariously pranked by his mum on April Fool's Day!
The interview confirmed that David had sadly died from an underlying health condition that caused internal bleeding. After being taken to A&E for surgery, he sadly never recovered from the operation. Speaking about meeting David for the first time, Richard said: "From the minute we met – boom! I never for a minute thought – no matter what happened – we would ever part."
He added: "Christianity doesn’t get you out of death. It just says there’s something beyond it. But it doesn’t get you out of loss or grief, or bereavement. It doesn’t spare you any of that. On the contrary, I think it probably intensifies it… But I am a Christian and I don’t think this is all there is. Everything that was good about me and David, that’s not finished. Nothing in that has flickered or faded at all."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.