The Reverend Richard Coles has said he will be saying goodbye to his BBC Radio 4 show Saturday Live following a decision by the broadcaster to relocate the programme to Cardiff.

Coles was previously a member of the popular 1980s pop group, the Communards who produced hit songs like Don't Leave Me This Way.

The public figure, who was previously a Vicar with the Church of England, revealed that he's disappointed with the way the BBC has handled the situation, giving very little publicity to the final show.

Coles will say farewell to fans of Saturday Live after 12 years of doing the show.

News Shopper: (PA) Richard Cole was previously a Reverend with the Church of England(PA) Richard Cole was previously a Reverend with the Church of England (Image: PA)

Expressing his disappointment in the BBC show change, Richard Coles told the Guardian: “If you leave a programme after 12 years, a gentler process would have been nice. But what happens happens.

"It just feels a little bit rushed. It’s been frustrating for me having to wait for an announcement, and now it’s my last programme on Saturday. I’d rather have had a longer goodbye to listeners.”

“It just feels a bit sad. I’m sorry to go; I’ve loved the programme, I’ve loved the people I’ve worked with, and it’s been a big part of my life. I shall miss it."

A BBC spokesperson said of the decision: “Richard has been brilliant on Saturday mornings and very much continues to be part of the Radio 4 family. We look forward to working with him on future projects.”

This move comes as the BBC looks to move programmes away from London in a strategy to spread more of its offerings across the UK.

In a statement by Coles, he said: "After more than a decade on Saturday Live the time has come to do something different, spend some time on other projects and get my weekends back. I look forward to reappearing on the network in the future and wish the best to Nikki as Saturday Live continues."