The Rev Richard Coles learns to skydive in Milton Keynes for new TV documentary on grief

The one off documentary joins the Rev Coles, former member of the 80s band The Communards, as he endeavours to explore bereavement and grief and how to live with it positively.

When Richard’s husband David died in 2019, he became a widower at the age of 57 and found himself alone for the first time in 12 years. As someone who is surrounded by death in his profession, he thought he’d be well equipped to deal with it but when it happened to him.

He realised he wasn’t. Taking himself well outside of his comfort zone, he threw himself into a plethora of activities across the UK, all said to have a positive impact on grief.

One of those was learning to fly at iFLY Milton Keynes indoor skydiving tunnel. He was joined by Al Hodgson who was injured by an IRA bomb while serving in Northern Ireland in 1992 and went on to become Britain’s first double amputee skydiver.

Richard said: “It was a fascinating and sometimes surprising journey through the landscape of grief. Learning to fly to a close, encounter with a sloth in Honduras to an unbudgeable wetsuit in Bristol. I learnt a lot and hope it will be instructive and entertaining for anyone also on that journey.”

Shane Evans, general manager, at iFLY Milton Keynes said: “We welcomed Richard on his bereavement journey and hoped that we managed to lift his spirits with our indoor skydive.”

From laughter yoga, indoor skydiving, high energy boxing and exhilarating surfing, to playing with therapy alpacas and dining with others who are grieving, Rev Coles embraces every opportunity as he discovers a tool-kit of therapies to help him explore a good grief. Music moves him and he also visits the Blue Cross, and discusses the grief associated with the loss of a family pet too.

He added: “It was a fascinating and sometimes surprising journey through the landscape of grief, from a close encounter with a sloth in Honduras to an unbudgeable wetsuit in Bristol.

"I learnt a lot and hope it will be instructive and entertaining for anyone also on that journey.”

Good Grief airs on Channel 4, at 10pm tonight.