Vicar denies affair with Who star's girlfriend

The vicar who buried The Who’s John Entwistle is on “stress” leave after denying allegations of an affair with the star’s grieving girlfriend.

Married father-of-two the Rev Colin Wilson has denied any improper relationship with Lisa Pritchard-Johnson, despite pictures of the pair apparently kissing being published in a Sunday newspaper.

Mr Wilson led the funeral service for bassist Entwistle at St Edward’s Church near the 57-year-old rocker’s home at Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, last July.

Entwistle died in a Las Vegas hotel room after taking cocaine on a Who US tour and Mr Wilson admitted that he and Ms Pritchard-Johnson had become close as he comforted her.

But the Diocese of Gloucester has now said Mr Wilson has been given sick leave to try to patch up his own marriage.

The Archdeacon of Cheltenham The Venerable Hedley Ringrose said today: “The Rev Colin Wilson has been suffering from stress and depressive illness and on medical advice is currently on sick leave.

“I hope to be seeing him again shortly to discuss the situation and to offer such help and support as may be needed for him and his family.”

Mr Wilson is believed to have booked into a clinic and his wife Gillian, with whom he lived with their two young daughters at the rectory in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, was not at home today.

Miss Pritchard-Johnson told the Sun: “Colin’s a rock n’roll vicar. We are just good friends. I told him about the story and he said ’Oh God, I was just consoling you’.”