I’m a Celebrity fans celebrate ‘wholesome’ bond between Richard Coles and GK Barry

Reverend joked that he and the podcaster are having a ‘bromance’ in the jungle

I’m a Celebrity viewers praised the heartwarming intergenerational friendship between Reverend Richard Coles and GK Barry, describing it as the most “wholesome” part of the series.

The broadcaster and former Communards star, 62, has emerged as one of this season’s breakout stars thanks to his quick wit and warmth, and Coles appears to have formed a particularly strong bond with straight-talking podcaster Barry, 25.

The unlikely double act first had viewers cracking up when Coles confused “emo” with “emu”, mixing up the Australian bird with the emo subculture and musical genre.

Coles asked Barry and fellow contestant Maura Higgins “what’s the difference between a goth and an emu?” after the social media star and the former Love Islander admitted that they had dabbled with gothic fashion in their teens.

“Emu is an animal, emo… a goth is more holy, a holy emo,” Barry then explained.

Barry went on to ask Coles, who was born in 1962, whether he was alive during the Second World War, much to his bemusement.

Fans praised the friendship that has sprung up between the pair (ITV)

Speaking in the Bush Telegraph later, Barry admitted: “I love talking with Richard, I just feel like he teaches me so much.”

She added that her campmate is now also “full of knowledge of things he probably could have done without from me.”

“I don’t know what a bromance is between a 62-year-old gay man and a 25-year-old lesbian, whatever it is, we’re having one,” Coles later quipped, summing up their friendship.

Twitter/X users took to social media during the episode to celebrate the bond between the pair, with one viewer writing: “Genuinely love the friendship between GK Barry and Richard.”

“The friendship between GK and Richard has been one of the highlights this year,” another added.

Others suggested that Coles should be a guest on Barry’s podcast once the season is over, with one writing: “I adore GK & Richard i need him on GK’s podcast when they’re out.”

“GK Barry and rev Richard have one of the best friendships, i need to see them do more together once they get out,” another added, while further users proposed that they should present a chat show together or appear on Celebrity Gogglebox.

“The friendship between gk and richard is so wholesome,” declared one fan.

Elsewhere in the episode, Coles recalled the reaction to his number one hit with The Communards.

“The big thing for us came when we had ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ and it was number one for weeks and weeks,” he said. “I remember we were playing in Ireland and we were booked into a sports stadium, we came on stage and there was this barrage of knickers. All these girls threw their knickers!”

“Never in the history of recorded sound did a girl throw her knickers at a band to less effect than to The Communards,” he then jokingly added. “I think Jimmy made a scrunchie out of a pair of them and that was it.”