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A former pop star, the Rev Richard Coles hosts chat show Saturday Live Colourful past included time as singer in 1980s group The Communards New memoir reveals week-long hard drugs binges and sex in lay-bys He pretended to have HIV until confession when he found God in 1990 Flock in Finedon, Northamptonshire, wryly warned to 'brace themselves'

By Richard Pendlebury for the Daily Mail

Published: 19:29 EST, 14 October 2014 | Updated: 19:29 EST, 14 October 2014

Book of revelations: The Rev Richard Coles is telling all about his wild life before finding God in 1990

Each weekend, the Reverend Richard Coles takes his two million Radio 4 listeners for a gentle stroll along the highways and byways of British life.

As presenter of the family chat show Saturday Live, his wit and whimsy has been likened to the aural equivalent of Ovaltine; Coles is often described as Britains most famous vicar aside from the fictional central character of the BBC hit comedy Rev, also based on him.

He also has a day job. Twenty-four hours after broadcasting to the nation, the plump, bespectacled clergyman returns to the tranquillity of his role as Vicar of Finedon in Northamptonshire.

His 14th-century parish church of St Mary the Virgin has a fine ring of bells and an organ which is said to have been played by George Handel.

Nothing seismic has occurred in this backwater in the heart of England since the collapse of a landmark folly more than 60 years ago.

But that is likely to change this week with the publication of the Rev Coless autobiography, Fathomless Riches. His 150 or so parishioners have been warned by him to brace themselves, for the contents are as far removed from the memoirs of a traditional vicar as can be imagined.

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A confession too far! Radio 4's favourite vicar - who inspired TV's Rev - tells how he enjoyed open-air sex with ...