When Fleabag ended in 2019, Andrew Scott naively claimed our obsession with his Hot Priest character was ‘just a phase’.
But flash forward nearly seven years, and the internet is still just as horny for clergymen.
Andrew’s charismatic character stirred something unexpected in many of us, and we’ve been finding new ways to satisfy our white collar kink ever since – from lusting after Josh O’Connor in the new Knives Out movie to reading Catholic smut by the likes of Sierra Simone (no judgement).
But it’s not just fictional priests getting our pulses racing – people are also going wild for real-life reverends like Pat Allerton.
Now, I’ve never been even remotely religious, but after just a few minutes talking to Pat, I can see why people have become a bit obsessed with him. Not only is he ruggedly handsome, but he’s got a great voice – he could talk about literally anything, and people would probably stop and listen.
It just so happens that what he’s talking about is God.
During the pandemic, he took to the streets to share sermons at a time when people weren’t able to go to church, which is how he became known as ‘The Portable Priest’, but now he’s the vicar at St Peter’s in Notting Hill.
Online, he’s garnered thousands of followers who have declared him a ‘hot vicar’, ‘Hunky Pat’, and say he’s ‘giving Fleabag vibes’.
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But the 46-year-old says he takes these monikers with a ‘pinch of salt’.
He’s incredibly humble about his looks, telling Metro: ‘In the world I come from and live in, if you’re under the age of 65 and still have most of your hair and teeth, people tend to think you’re on the hotter end of the spectrum.
‘I try not to dwell on it too much, but it’s very kind, and I’d rather be on that end of the spectrum than the other end.’
And while he’s not sure how much of an impact his online popularity will have on getting people to church, he’s grateful for anyone it does bring in, especially at Christmas.
‘The church has made mistakes over the years, and the devil himself has done a pretty good PR job of putting people off, so anything we can do to gain a hearing, even for a moment, is a good thing,’ he says.
‘I don’t put much trust in [the hot priest stuff], but I’m grateful for the platform and wider reach if people like that and are intrigued by it.
‘Anything that opens eyes or pricks ears, I celebrate, and I think the church wants that – we want an opportunity to share the message.’
Unlike Pat, Chris Lee, the reverend of St Saviours in Wendell Park, does think all the attention priests and religion have been getting this year will make a difference at Christmas time.
He tells Metro he’s expecting to see a ‘surge’ in people going to church over the festive period.
‘I think we will swell more than usual across the UK,’ he says. ‘The trend of priests being on social media and being a bit more accessible has helped people see the church as possibly having a larger front door for them, and they’re not afraid to come and have a look.’
Chris, 42, is another attractive vicar of Instagram, with more than 150,000 followers. He typically shares 60-second sermons, and they garner quite the response from women…
‘HOEly moly,’ one reply reads, as another gets straight to the point, joking: ‘Off I go to confess my sins…’
A third posted: ‘Cute priest. Where is his church? (asking for a friend).’
While someone else added: ‘Come to bed, Father and let me show you something…’
With so many fans, he’s officially reached influencer status (his Insta bio even lists that he’s an influencer before mentioning he’s a vicar). He’s also an author, having penned a children’s book, and was recently invited by the PM to film inside No. 10 Downing Street – which he says was a rare honour.
‘Usually, you’re not allowed phones inside No. 10, but the digital team issued me with a special phone to record. It was an amazing privilege, and it just shows that even the government thinks religious influencers [like me] are a good way to get a message of unity and love out there,’ he says.
As well as spreading love (and a little lust), Chris says his social media presence is helping change the way people think about religion by challenging stereotypes around priests and showing they’re not all ‘fuddy-duddies’.
‘A lot of people write religion off, thinking it’s boring and dusty and full of old fuddy-duddies, and yes, there are older members of the community, but there are also people of all ages,’ he explains.
‘It’s helpful when people see people who look maybe more like them, and they think “hang on, I wouldn’t have thought that person would be interested in faith or God”. It gives them the confidence to find out more.
‘People who aren’t used to going to church need a sense of confidence about crossing the threshold. It can be intimidating, which is why social media is great for churches and church leaders to communicate who they are, so people get to know us, and we can put them at ease.’
Why are we so attracted to priests?
Sex and relationships psychologist Natalie Cawley believes it’s all to do with vicars being in a position of authority as church leaders, as that power dynamic is a real turn-on for some.
She told Metro: ‘The desire or attraction seems to come, in part, from the idealised view of the person, it is assumed that because a person holds a position of power, they are respected, capable, together and can contain and respond to our own fragility or chaos.
‘For such a person to value us would reinforce our ego and communicate to others that we are valuable, lovable and worthy.’
She continued: ‘The attraction to power will also be based on an individual’s early attachment relationships. If one had a parent (particularly the opposite sex parent) who held a position of power in a nurturing, containing and protective manner, they may be more likely to be attracted to such qualities in a mate.’
But for others, there might be an element of wanting what you can’t have, as Catholic priests are generally required to take a vow of celibacy.
And this might excite some people, as they’ll see it as a fun challenge, explains relationship hypnotherapist Dipti Tait.
‘When someone appears unattainable, their mysterious and challenging nature triggers a heightened sense of reward in the brain. This is reminiscent of the brain’s response to unpredictability, which releases dopamine.
‘The brain’s dopamine response can create an addictive pattern, where the person becomes reliant on the thrill of pursuing someone unattainable, despite the toll it takes on their emotional wellbeing.’
And he’s not wrong about the impact this could be having on Christmas churchgoing, as according to Christian charity, Tearfund, it is on the rise this year.
The charity surveyed more than 2,000 UK adults and found that 45% of Christians planned to attend church over Christmas, which is up from 40% last year. And among non-Christians, 34% said they were planning to go, which has risen from 30% last year.
Gen Z were leading the way overall, with 60% saying they would attend – and we know it’s been a big year for the younger generation ‘turning to religion’.
Reverend Pippa White, a 29-year-old priest from Shropshire, believes that social media accounts like Chris and Pat’s (as well as her own) have played a big part in bringing Gen Z to church.
‘For some Gen X and Millennials, there can be a feeling that being Christian can mean you’re a bit wet and weird. But when so many young people are open about their faith (especially online), it helps to dispel this misconception for Gen Z, she adds.
But, regardless of whether it’s tradition, social media inspiration or an overwhelming desire to see men of the cloth up close and personal that has you considering going to church this Christmas, Pat wants you to remember one thing.
‘Christmas reminds us that there’s no story like the Christian story because it tells us that God became a child so that we might become children of God,’ he says.
‘It’s a remarkable message of love, so why not get along to church this Christmas time to hear that once again?’
I’m sure some of you won’t need telling twice… wink, wink.
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