HomeTV'Pilgrimage' is back - find out which seven celebs are taking part

‘Pilgrimage’ is back – find out which seven celebs are taking part

‘Pilgrimage’ is returning to BBC Two and iPlayer this Spring for a new three-part series and today the seven celebrities taking part have been revealed.

Under the working title ‘Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal’, the new series will feature Su Pollard, who was raised Church of England; Jewish actress Rita Simons; Pentecostal Born-Again Christian, Shane Lynch of Boyzone fame; reality TV star and influencer, Vicky Pattison, who is agnostic; Bobby Seagull, a practising Catholic, maths whizz and TV personality; Nabil Abdulrashid, a comedian and practising Muslim; and Paralympian skier Millie Knight, who is non-practising Church of England.

The new series takes seven well-known personalities of differing faiths and beliefs on a personal journey along the northern route of the Fatima Way in Portugal.

Their destination is the Sanctuary in the city of Fatima, where in 1917 three local shepherd children experienced several apparitions of the Virgin Mary.  What was once a small village is now one of the biggest Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world.

For the first time ever, the celebrity pilgrims are on a deadline: they need to arrive in time for a major celebration which ends with a spectacular night-time candlelit vigil, attended by nearly 70,000 pilgrims who have travelled from across the world to celebrate the story of the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary.  

Tackling this 364km pilgrimage over 15 days, the celebrity pilgrims will travel through the heart of northern Portugal’s stunning landscapes. Carrying their own backpacks, they will sleep in rough and ready pilgrim hostels, a basic campsite, as well as a working fire station. It’s a tough challenge, so will they all make it to Fatima on time?

Along the route, the pilgrims will visit many places of significant interest including Bom Jesus do Monte, a UNESCO world heritage site and a medieval synagogue, which became a prison and a hayloft, before being preserved as a museum, recapturing its former history. In Coimbra, the capital of Portugal in the early Middle Ages, they visit a closed order of nuns and meet Sister Ana Sofia who served alongside Sister Lucia, one of the shepherd children, before she died. The pilgrims hear first-hand how sister Lucia’s life changed after the seemingly miraculous events that put a small Portuguese village on the global stage.

On their journey, the celebrity pilgrims explore each other’s faiths; whilst sampling local delicacies in Mealhada, a small town famous for its roast suckling pigs, they discover the dark history behind this traditional culinary speciality and its implications for some of the pilgrims’ religions.

Daisy Scalchi, BBC Head of Religion and Ethics, says: “’Pilgrimage’ is a unique series, using travelogue as a way to explore conversations about faith and belief from a variety of perspectives, with the spirit of curiosity, respect and understanding. We see viewers’ appetite for programmes about belief, morality and spirituality is as strong as ever and Pilgrimage provides an extraordinary opportunity to bring these discussions to a wide audience.”

Caroline Matthews, Executive Producer and CEO, CTVC says: “The power of ‘Pilgrimage’ is that you never know what experiences the celebrity pilgrims will have on their journey and this new series is no exception! Returning with a brilliant new cast, they physically dig deep, talk faith and ponder life’s big questions. As ever, stripped of their creature comforts, there is strong camaraderie, tears and a healthy dollop of humour to see them through their epic journey.”

‘Pilgrimage: The Road through Portugal’ (w/t) will air this Spring.

author avatar
Pip Ellwood-Hughes Editor / Owner
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media.

Must Read

Advertisement