Peace & Laughter

Kate Bottley is a Nottinghamshire-based reverend who rose to public prominence on Channel 4's BAFTA winning series Gogglebox, and has become a firm household favourite through a variety of broadcasting, media and fundraising projects. Here she discusses juggling the launch of her new book Three Vicars Talking, her popular Radio 2 radio show, and serving her parish communities. Oh, and Made discovers she’s a hardcore outdoor swimmer, goes wobbly at Kylie, and can even eat fire!

In 2012 Kate was part of a wedding flashmob video which went viral with over 7 million hits on YouTube. This led to her being approached by Channel 4’s BAFTA and NTA winning series Gogglebox, and thus saw her and her husband Graham Bottley become firm favourites with the public.

Kate’s lively, fun and loveable personality soon propelled her to the spotlight as the Vicar who ‘thinks outside the box’, rolls with the times, and was happy to pull her sleeves up. It was pretty clear from the off that she is a broadcasting dream, making everyone around her feel at ease. Hardly a surprise that she is often invited to appear on a host of popular TV shows, including Hairy Biker’s Cracking Christmas, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, and even making semi-finalist on Celebrity Master Chef in 2017.

She is currently taking a break from full-time parish ministry here in Nottinghamshire, but continues to take church services and officiate at weddings and funerals as part of a wider remit which includes writing and broadcasting projects. Her faith has kept her strong, and continues at the heart of everything she does. Funnily enough, Kate wasn’t raised in a church-going family. In fact she only started going to church because she fancied the vicar’s son. Yes, you guessed it… Graham. They met at 13, started dating at 18 and the fairytale continues with their two children.

Kate presents the revamped and refreshed Good Morning Sunday show on BBC Radio 2 and has already appeared on the station in her role as a presenter on The Sunday Hour, as a contributor on Saturday Breakfast with Dermot O’Leary and as a contributor to Pause for Thought on Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show, for which she won a Jerusalem Award. She has also written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Independent, Saga Magazine and the Radio Times.

Kate is forever busy juggling projects, in particular with the recent launch of her book ‘Three Vicars Talking’; a nod of course to the brilliant BBC Radio 4 series, alongside the wonderful Rev Richard Cole and Rev Giles Fraser.

On the concept of brining out the book, Kate explains “Giles, Richard and I are friends, so it’s not entirely uncommon for us to get together over a drink or some food and have a good chat. One year we all found ourselves at Greenbelt festival in Northamptonshire, along with Christine Morgan one of the important people in BBC Radio religion. We rambled on for an hour, there were laughs and some tears and an idea for the book was born. Initially a set of radio conversations, the book is a transcript of those.”

For anyone not familiar with the series, readers can expect an endearing, heartfelt collection of refreshingly honest and compassionate themes and conversations. Plenty of laughter and tears in equal measure.

“There’s a bit of gentle teasing, and no hesitation in having a tricky conversation”, adds Kate thoughtfully, “Richard has recently lost his partner David and so the conversation around death in particular was very close to home. It’s an easy read, and hopefully an enjoyable one.”

Amongst Kate’s other projects of course is her BBC Radio 2 Good Morning Sunday show, alongside Jason Mohammad, which is going from strength to strength. The show features religious as well as ethical and spiritual issues, discussion, guest interviews and music, and sees Kate and Jason looking out for stories all week that they can share with listeners.

On how they come up with such great, and often uplifting content, Kate explains that is a culmination of team work and hours of prep.

“Jason and I are always texting each other with ideas and finding music we like. But the team that work on the show are incredible and put in lots of time and effort every week. It helps of course that Jason and I get on really well, too, and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it. The text messages and emails we get are always so lovely, it feels like being part of a family. Only thing I don’t love quite so much is that I have to get up at 4.30am to do it!”

The show’s popularity has meant they they have been fortunate to interview and chat with a variety of interesting people from all wakes of life, although there are still a couple of Kate’s interview ‘wish list’.

“I’m a huge Lizzo fan! I’d love to get into how she appears to remain so positive. Dolly Parton is another hero of mine, and she loves Jesus!” Alongside her media projects Kate is still very much involved in officiating at weddings and funerals, something which she feels is a great privilege and gives her chance to immerse in the local community and share their joy or sorrow. The experience has of course been slightly different to usual as we navigate the ever changing environment through lockdowns and uncertainty, with funerals in particular seeing an emotional outpouring that can no longer be shared with a simple hug.

“A great privilege of my work is funerals, these of course have continued but like everything they’ve been very different, from what we know. The funeral journey usually begins with a home visit, this is where a lot of our ‘work’ happens. Sitting in someone’s home, drinking tea, looking at the photos, laughing and crying, by the time we get to the service the family know and trust me. Under the restrictions this has been limited. Families haven’t been able to hug or hold hands or even sit together. This has been hard to be part of.”

With an increasing number of people turning to the church or becoming more reflective and contemplating faith through these difficult times, Kate’s advice to anyone who might be considering a role within the church is simply to be yourself.

“Before I got ordained, a lot of people (and myself) used to tell me I’d have to ‘calm down’, things like ‘oh you won’t be able to do that when you’re a vicar, you’ll have to behave’. I thought getting ordained I was going to have to water myself down, be less of who I really am, but that wasn’t the case, actually I feel more ‘me’ now than I ever have. All anyone wants, including God, from anyone they encounter; priest, postman or politician is authenticity. Don’t be what you aren’t, you do you.”

Wise words from the Reverend Kate Bottley.

You can listen to Kate on her BBC Radio 2 Good Morning Sunday show - weekly on Sundays at 6.00am. You can also catch up with previous episodes on BBC Sounds on www.bbc.co.uk

Three Vicars Talking is out now, available from multiple book providers.

Image courtesy of John Mannell.

Twenty minutes with Reverend Kate...

Cookery; what’s your favourite dish to make, your most disastrous yet, and one you’d like to have a go at? It changes. I’m doing amazing things with the glut of squash that we grew over the summer. My daughter loves my biryani and homemade naan. My chocolate and stout cake is pretty good, too. I forgot about a loaf I left to prove the other day and it had over taken the proving drawer by the time I got to it, it was like a monster! I’d like to make proper patisserie, an almond croissant or a St Honoré cake.

What are you reading at the moment, and what is your favourite book? I’ve just finished ‘Glorious Rock Bottom’ by Bryony Gordon, honest, raw and hilarious, my favourite book is Jane Asher’s Fancy Dress book from the 1980s, it features loads of her celebrity mates all dressed up. James Coburn as a pigeon is a particular favourite!

You are someone who provides guidance and support to many. Who is your go-to person for advice? I have a squad! My mate Anna is also ordained. She’s a legend! And my friend Katie from secondary school. I also have my three rugby friends - we ran out on a field together over 25 years ago; we had each other’s back in a scrum and we do now. Beach Holiday or City Break? And where? Both, neither, but anywhere as long as it has a lake or river I can swim in. I try and outdoor swim most days, no wetsuit and whatever the temperature. My coldest swim was minus 3.

Who would you most like to be stuck in an elevator with? A lift repair worker with a tool box!

In another life, if not a vicar what would you have been, and why? I used to be a teacher so probably that, but I’ve always fancied being a paramedic

Favourite decade, and why? The 90s! The music, the fashion and the last time the UK won the Eurovision song contest

Best compliment you have ever received? John Torode told me ‘You can cook’

Favourite film? Shaun of the Dead

If you could join a circus, what would you perform, and why? Trapeze artist that can eat fire. I can already eat fire so I’m half way there. Favourite Karaoke song? ‘Jump around’ - House of Pain or ‘Ice Ice baby’ - Vanilla Ice. I know all the words of the raps!

Proudest moment/achievement? Completing three triathlons in three days for Sport Relief. We raised a million pounds. That and preaching at Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

What is your favourite Knock Knock joke? ‘Knock, knock Who’s there? A surrealist A surrealist, who? Fish’

Favourite subjects at school? Geography

Any TV shows you would like to appear on? The Great British Bake Off and Extra Slice.

Favourite sport to watch? Favourite exercise to do? Sport to watch - Rugby Union (and play) Outdoor swimming, no wetsuit, all year round, and dancing

Best biscuit for tea dunking? Custard cream

Best childhood memory? Winning a talent competition on holiday in Spain aged 4. The sombrero I won was bigger than me.

Have you ever been starstruck? I went wobbly at the knees when I met Kylie, both times!