Richard Coles felt 'hurtled towards the exit' when he left BBC

Reverend Richard Coles felt "hurtled towards the exit" when he left the BBC earlier this year.

The 60-year-old clergyman departed BBC Radio 4 in March after 12 years on air, and he didn't feel his level of "devotion" to the company was matched by them.

He told the Radio Times magazine: "I felt rather hurtled towards the exit. Working for an organisation like the BBC, you devote your energies to it and yet they perhaps don’t always respond with similar devotion."

Richard also claimed the BBC doesn't know it's "a*** from its elbow".

He added: "It’s a great national institution, and more power to its elbow. It would just be nice if it could distinguish that elbow from its a*** sometimes."

In March, Richard left weekend programme 'Saturday Live' - which he co-hosted with broadcaster Nikki Bedi - after the BBC opted to relocate the show from London to Cardiff.

His final show was on March 25th, but the broadcaster didn't make a statement about it until five days before his last episode, and the radio presenter admitted it felt "a little bit rushed".

He told The Guardian newspaper at the time: "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."

Richard also admitted it was "a shame" the programme couldn't remain in London, where it was "doing really well".

He said: "I’d have preferred the programme to stay in London. I think it would be better. I was happy doing it and I think it’s gone from strength to strength.

"Moving it to Cardiff, I don’t really see how that works, but that’s not my decision – that’s other people’s decision.

"I think the programme was doing really well, actually. We were both enjoying doing it and it’s a shame it can’t continue in the form it’s been in for a long time, which works, and which pleases listeners."

The decision for Richard to depart the programme came weeks before his final episode, after the broadcaster opted to relocate the show to Cardiff, which comes as part of the BBC's wider plan to move some key jobs and programmes out of London - to make the corporation more reflective of the UK as a whole.

A BBC spokesperson told the publication: "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."