Pilgrimage series is back on BBC Two and iPlayer this Easter with a new three part series. This time, seven well known personalities with differing faiths and beliefs, meet in northern Portugal to tackle a modern-day Catholic pilgrimage.

Travelling by foot, road and train, actor Su Pollard, who was raised Church of England; Jewish actor 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, will live as pilgrims.

Following Portugal’s Northern Way, their destination is the famous Sanctuary in the city of Fatima, where in 1917, three local shepherd children reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

Fridays at 9pm, BBC Two & BBC iPlayer from 7 April 2023

 

SU POLLARD INTERVIEW

Did you feel what you were hoping to experience? Any revelations about yourself or your faith?

This pilgrimage confirmed to me that any faith or belief one has that brings comfort, can only be a positive thing. I saw this in other pilgrims along the walk, by the way they were comfortable within themselves and happy and joyful.

 

Did you have to prepare in advance for the pilgrimage? What did you do?

I bought the clothes and equipment I needed, including walking boots, waterproof gear, and walking poles. I walked every day wearing the whole ensemble and it really prepared me.  As the boots were so comfortable when I arrived to do the walk, my feet were really bedded in.

 

What did you NOT do? In hindsight, was there anything you should have done to prepare yourself?

I should have brought with me more accessories, jewellery, etc to give more colour!

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced during this pilgrimage?

Walking up nearly six hundred steep, concrete steps was definitely a challenge. My sticks were my saviour. I was so thrilled when I reached the top. Like Sir Edmund Hillary conquering Everest!

 

What was your highlight?

Seeing tens of thousands of people at the end of our journey, in the square of the Sanctuary at Fatima, with lit candles was just superb.

 

Did you find the experience emotional/eye-opening/enlightening?

Yes, I found it emotional.

 

Did you get what you wanted from the experience?

The greatest thing that came out of it was joy. And I think that's what life should be about.  The most marvellous moment was when we went to a convent, and we spoke to this nun behind a wall of bars. And she was just the happiest I've ever seen. It was all fabulous.  It was just a great experience. I’m very, very glad I did it, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

Were you surprised by any of your fellow pilgrims’ reactions to any situations?

Not really. I thought they were all pretty much grounded to each situation. They got on with stuff in the way that helped them.

 

Are you affiliated to any religion? If so, which?  Do you practice?

No. I was christened Church of England, but I just like to chat with God. It is a private thing for me, not necessarily involving worshipping with others.

 

Is your faith/religion something you have previously felt comfortable openly discussing with your peers, the public or within the press?

I just have random moments when I think "Oh, have you got a minute, God.” 

 

Since returning home from the pilgrimage, have you felt different or engaged in activities around your faith that you would never have previously considered?

No, just the same, really.

 

Did you learn anything new about your own faith while you were away?

No, I have not experienced any "profoundness" to speak of.

 

You spent two weeks with a group of strangers. Did you learn anything new about yourself through the experience? Your strengths/weaknesses.

I saw first-hand, in the nunnery that a faith so strong that nothing comes close, is so powerful that menial tasks still bring joy because the nuns are doing them for their God. Faith in him means they are not yearning for material things and the simple life they lead is all they need. No complications. That’s just marvellous.

 

What did you learn about the other pilgrims’ faiths that you didn’t know before?

Yes, Nabil's. He has a very disciplined belief. By that I mean he knows what brings him joy and how to fulfil it. He prays several times a day and what he has learned has brought him inner peace.  Having something that makes you comfortable is very rewarding.

 

Did anything about this pilgrimage surprise you?

No, not at all. Although it is good to have your own time. I have spent my career involved in teamwork, so I just get on with stuff.

 

What do you hope Pilgrimage viewers will take away from watching you take part in this series?

That it is important to appreciate others' views and not to be judgemental.

 

Describe your feelings/emotions when you reached the end of the Pilgrimage and arrived in Fatima and attended the night-time vigil to celebrate the Miracle of the Sun?

I cried at the sheer spectacle and the amount of love and belief coming from the devotees, wherever in the world they were from. All sharing the same experience for whatever the reason they were there. Magical.

 

Would you do it again?

I don't have to.  I have done it now!

 

Summarise your experience on this pilgrimage.

I urge anyone to have this adventure. Once in a lifetime, not to be missed.

 

RITA SIMONS INTERVIEW

Did you feel what you were hoping to experience? Any revelations about yourself or your faith?

I found myself appreciating my Jewish community more when I returned than I had previously. I felt I belonged somewhat more after exploring my own faith. I was not hoping or expecting to find anything, so it was a nice, unexpected feeling.

 

Did you have to prepare in advance for the pilgrimage? What did you do?

I already do a lot of walking and train most days in my gym at home, so I like to think I was already strong, but obviously I have scoliosis, so I had to wear a back brace some days to help with the weight of my bag. I also had long covid before we come to Portugal, so I was having a lot of vitamin iv drips before we left, and it completely sorted me out.

 

What did you NOT do? In hindsight, was there anything you should have done to prepare yourself?

Buy a she wee. Weeing and generally going to the toilet was not fun in the bushes! I would have definitely invested in a she wee had I known!

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced during this pilgrimage?

I really didn’t find this experience painful or difficult. Yes, it was tiring, and I could’ve done with some more sleep but ultimately, I was delighted that I found myself sailing through with no complaints. I really loved the experience, and any challenges were purely from lack of sleep or toilet in bushes related!

 

What was your highlight?

My highlight was hanging out with a total cast and crew of 23 of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. We laughed, some cried (not me for once) and we just had a ball every single day. Also getting to the top of Bom Jesus do Monte with Millie and Bobby was pretty special and as ever, I was so proud of Millie.

 

Did you find the experience emotional?

I found the experience emotional for others but for me, not so much because I am in a solid place in my life at the moment after years of trauma. So, I was just happy to be there, in the beauty of the landscape, with beautiful people and I enjoyed watching them get their moments of enlightenment. Millie made me emotional sometimes just because she’s so amazing and goes headfirst into everything with no fear… it reminded me a lot of how I feel about my kids, especially my daughter Maiya, who is deaf and has the same take on life as Millie has.

 

Were you surprised by any of your fellow pilgrims’ reactions to any situations?

Not really.

 

Were you surprised by any of YOUR reactions?

I am Jewish. I do not practise, and I am not kosher. I am what I would call “culturally Jewish.” Even though I am fully Jewish, it’s very much more the culture of my family as opposed to going to synagogue or observing holidays. My parents are better at observing the religion than me. I do still observe Passover and Rosh Hashanah though, as it’s a family tradition.

 

Is your faith/religion something you have previously felt comfortable openly discussing with your peers, the public or within the press?

No. This is the first time I have discussed publicly, at any length, my religion. I have been quite used to saying nothing in certain situations throughout my life because sometimes you think, you don’t want the bother. I will proudly tell most people I’m Jewish in all work situations, because for the most part, the people in my industry are welcoming and inclusive and Jewish sometimes too! It’s more out of work or public situations that I will sometimes have to gauge whether it’s something I should keep quiet. I have always told my kids if they are on the London tube, they should hide their Star of David necklaces because sadly, some people will hate you for being Jewish. But I decided it’s time to just stop doing that and to be proud to be publicly known for my religion. It’s quite scary and leaves me feeling a little exposed and vulnerable.

 

Has the experience changed or increased your faith?

No, it’s just given me a bit more appreciation for the fact that I belong to a community, but I don’t feel more religious.

 

Did you learn anything new about your own faith while you were away?

I learnt nothing I didn’t already know but maybe forgot. My religion is very much rooted in family and kindness and generosity. And they are the foundations of my own life, so I was reminded of that and validated that I don’t HAVE to be a strict or an Orthodox Jew to be a good Jew!

 

You spent two weeks with a group of strangers. Did you learn anything new about yourself through the experience? Your strengths/weaknesses.

I learnt that I’m happy and that is something that eluded me for a while.

 

What did you learn about the other pilgrims’ faiths that you didn’t know before?

Learning all about Fatima and the Catholic Church was fascinating.

 

Prior to this pilgrimage, had you ever found yourself discussing faith and religion with your contemporaries before?

I try not to. Just like I try not to discuss politics! I have my views but I don’t begrudge anyone for holding their own. Sometimes it can get messy discussing personal beliefs and I’m too busy indulging in toilet humour – it’s much more fun!

 

Did anything about this pilgrimage surprise you?

I was surprised by how much the entire country (or at least the places we visited) were so supportive of anyone going on the pilgrimage. People were so kind and welcoming. I was surprised by how many people were at the big event in Fatima and just how much of a magical atmosphere there was. It took my breath away!

 

What do you hope Pilgrimage viewers will take away from watching you take part in this series?

I hope they will take away a different view of me. I’m quite often remembered as the Ibiza party girl from Eastenders! It’s nice to do something a bit more gentle and a bit more grown up. I don’t ever want to lose that party girl, but I am a 46 year old mum of two who loves walking and learning about other people on a deeper level.

 

Describe your feelings/emotions when you reached the end of the Pilgrimage and arrived in Fatima and attended the night-time vigil to celebrate the Miracle of the Sun?

The night-time vigil was breath-taking. I was really moved, as were my fellow pilgrims. I can’t really ever put into words how special it was and I will be forever grateful that I got to experience it.  My feelings and emotions at the end of pilgrimage were ones of happiness, love, contentment and utter joy. I came away so grateful for my life, my kids, my family and my community.

 

Would you do it again?

Yes, in a heartbeat.

 

SHANE LYNCH INTERVIEW

Did you find/feel/experience what you were hoping to find/feel/experience? Any revelations about yourself or your faith?

I 100% achieved it and more because there was certainly a sense of peace. A number of weeks after I returned, I realised I had started to feel a lot of calm in my life and that is mega to feel that way. And it made me realise how a pilgrimage does many different things for different people. For some, it was the knowledge and stories you learn along the Northern Way to Fatima. But what I got from it was being there and enjoying the life moment as opposed to the history lesson. I came in and out of different conversations in the history lessons and found myself floating off into my own world of thinking about what this pilgrimage was for. And that's what I loved about it.

 

Did you have to prepare in advance for the pilgrimage? What did you do?

Absolutely. I took it really seriously. I was doing 5k and 7K hikes. I kind of broke in a pair of boots and my joints a little bit. And I'm glad I did because when I got there, I felt good and I felt strong.

 

What did you NOT do? In hindsight, was there anything you should have done to prepare yourself?

In hindsight, I probably could have done less, really, and not taken my preparation so seriously. I really did focus on this achievement as a journey. I had military in my mind.

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced during this pilgrimage?

Moments were challenging and sometimes I think being tired can get to you but then there was also a lot of joy.

 

Did you find the experience emotional?

It wasn't emotional but I think the emotions came with a relaxed sense of feeling.

Two weeks on a walk creates so many different mindsets and different conversations and emotions. 

 

Were you surprised by any of your fellow pilgrims’ reactions to any situations?

No, it's cool to see people having a good time. And an achievement. I think maybe Bobby got the most from the whole thing. Bobby was buzzing. He really loved the story of Fatima, loved the fact that he was there and participated in it. And maybe for Millie, it was an achievement too. She's so articulate, so expressive, and was so encouraging. And I think she might have got a lot out of that too, which is nice to see. She’s a beautiful girl.  She managed to get through the journey better than some of us.

 

Are you affiliated to any religion? If so, which?  Do you practice?

Yes, I’m a Born-Again Christian. It's a lifestyle, it's not a religion at all. I was born and raised a Catholic, but I was baptised as a child. Being born again is the symbolism of baptism. So as an adult, I made the choice to be baptised. And I decided to have a direct relationship with God.

 

What made you change religions?

I changed religion and I changed lifestyle. I changed everything because of my behaviour. I was on the dark side, and I was very interested in satanic stuff for a long period of my life. I knew and understood the spirits as such (and the Spirit, the Holy Spirit), the spirits of the occult and witchcraft, which I know is a dark and horrible world. So, knowing the dark, I decided I needed the light. That was the symbolism and I found him.

 

Do you feel your life has been enhanced by your newfound religion?

Yes, it’s given me life, more than enhancement. It's unbelievable. We are the only ones who can decide. It's our decision to either want God or not. God is not a bully. He doesn't come in and say, “right, I’m in your life now.” You have to decide that you want to know what that world is. Experience that love and prosperity and he leaves you to it. And if you want to go to Mass on Sunday, and that's it, then that’s your relationship with God. If you want to sit with God all day long in your car, listening to the radio, I look at it as mental food. So, it's what feeds my mind. What I watch, what I listen to, what I digest, it's actually mental food instead of mental health.

 

Is religion something that you have always been happy to talk about?

I've always been happy to answer a question. I don't go around talking Christ all the time. Naturally, if someone asks me a question, I am super happy to answer that question.

 

Has the experience changed or increased your faith in any way?

No but I think everyday changes and increases faith for me. And I think having faith is just to trust in God. And that's in the good and the bad. Knowing that there's rhyme and reason for everything. We're given a choice on how we act, what we say, what we do, what we don't do. And that's just your choice and part of your relationship with God.

 

Since you returned home, has the experience made you do anything different when it comes to your faith, or did you slip back into your normal life?

It's given me more interest in God and doing another pilgrimage. I’d even go back on the Northern Way, because I liked it. And I definitely came home after two weeks of peace, with a sense of peace, which was lovely.  I’ve never felt that peace before.

 

Did you learn anything new about your faith whilst on the pilgrimage?

Not necessarily about my faith, per se. I think I learned there’s a lot of people with faith. I hope they're in the right place. I hope what they're dedicating their lives to has the outcome. I hope that the belief they have transpires to actually God and Christ. And I think going into some of those churches and those beautiful places, made me realise there's nothing wrong with that regardless of religions. 

 

Did you learn a lot about the other pilgrims’ faiths that you didn’t know before, while you were on the journey?

In particular, Nabil was very forthcoming with his religion. We had a lot of different connections, Nabil and I, with our religions. I guess there’s historicalness in lots of religions. But it was good to contemplate and it's good to know that I'm in the right place.

 

What do you hope Pilgrimage viewers will take away from watching you take part in this series?

I've only seen a little bit and it's great. It's joy. It's funny. There's so much about it that I had forgotten. I’d love to be back there because it was great. The crew were great, and everyone was happy, and it was brilliant. I can't believe how funny it is. And that's good. You know it's good to laugh. It's good to see an enjoyable show about religious belief. It's a great show!

 

Summarise your experience on this pilgrimage.

I’d do it again!

  

NABIL ABDULRASHID INTERVIEW

Did you experience what you were hoping to experience? Any revelations about yourself or your faith?

No, I mean, I was pretty much bags fully packed in the boat that I'm sailing. I wasn't expecting to find anything that would come from my faith, per se. I didn't see any apparitions or anything like that. There was no major shift in my mindset as a person of faith.

 

What is your religion and are you practicing?

I am a practising Muslim.

When you went on the pilgrimage, were you hoping to impart some of your knowledge or your experiences about your religion on to the other pilgrims and to teach people about your faith?

I am always open to doing that when people are open to listening, so we did have conversations about religion. I'm always willing to share and tell people about my faith, because, despite being a major world faith, very little is known about Muslims outside of the Muslim community.

 

Did you have to prepare in advance for the pilgrimage? What did you do?

Yeah. I'm quite a big guy. I was bigger before we went on the pilgrimage, so I had to really work on my cardio. I knew that amount of trekking would be difficult, so I had to go on walks every day just to prepare myself and break in a pair of hiking boots. Hiking has never been one of my favourite activities. Pretty much that that was the main thing I did.

 

Do you think that helped?

No, I weigh over 25 stone! Climbing Bom Jesus do Monte - I remember that day very, very well. Oh, god, that was probably the turning point where, after we did that, the rest of the treks weren't really a problem. It was my threshold. And once I broke past that, physically, it wasn't so demanding anymore. I mean, it was demanding, but not as bad as it had been previously.

 

In hindsight, was there anything you should have done to prepare yourself?

No, there really wasn't that much I could do to prepare, it was what it was. And that being said, I still think I did well, I still think, you know, I made it to the end. Everybody felt a bit of discomfort, people who actually go hiking as a hobby got exhausted. There were people on the pilgrimage who were tired. So, all things taken into consideration, I think I did very well.

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced during this pilgrimage?

I'm quite a loner, which is weird because of what I do for a living, but I like to have my moments of peace so to not have any privacy and be around people consistently was tough. You never realise how much you enjoy silence until you're with people that don't stop talking. Also not having easy access to the kind of food I can eat. As a Muslim, I eat halal or kosher and Portugal is like pork Central, which was also challenging.

 

Did you find that having spent those couple of weeks with all these people, you built up a tolerance, that would make it easier for you to spend time with lots of people in the future?  Or did it just confirm that actually you just love your own space, and you like your own company, and you're not bothered about being in big crowds?

I think it's a bit of both. I've built up my tolerance for people, especially overly exuberant people, and it did make me appreciate my moments of solitude and silence even more.

 

What was your highlight?

There are two. One highlight was finding a mosque in Coimbra, because in Portugal, historically Muslims were forcefully kicked out of the country and, there is a very horrible history there, so to go to a city and see other Muslims, was nice.

 

It was nice to go into a mosque after being so far away from my place of worship. We visited so many churches and cathedrals, so to finally come to a simple mosque was one of the highlights. For me, it was very emotional. I don't know why, but it was.

 

Another highlight for me was when we got to Fatima. Getting to Fatima was great, because we finally came to the end of this long journey, but the real highlight was when I saw people in our group who weren't initially religious when we left, have a religious experience and appreciate faith. So, it was nice, even though I didn't have that spiritual experience, to see someone else have it and get emotional and feel something.

 

Did you find the experience emotional?

Yes, because you're around people who you've never met before, and then you're with them every day and you almost become like a family. And then all of a sudden, you have to separate. Islamically we're taught that we should live life as travellers, so for me it was almost like a reiteration of a time old Islamic lesson that we're only in this world for a short time.

 

Were you surprised by any of your fellow pilgrims’ reactions to any situations?

Yeah, there were a few times where people reacted to stuff, and I was really surprised. We visited certain places of worship and all of a sudden, certain people started breaking down in tears. And previously they had never showed any inkling of having that in them.

 

For example, like Vicky having a religious experience and crying. She's not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but it happened. Faith had an effect on Vicky, and she constantly wanted to have conversations with me about Islam, which was pretty cool. She's not someone I thought would be interested, but we ended up having a lot of long conversations about faith. And Rita and I have a lot of similarities in our heritage. So, we discussed all this stuff, and it was amazing, we actually made connections there. It's just amazing how everybody had something in common. Like with Millie, who was extraordinary; she practically kept me together physically through the whole thing. She literally can't see much further than what's ahead of her, but still walked forward with confidence and that is the definition of a person of faith.

 

Were you surprised by any of YOUR reactions?

I had an experience in a mosque, which surprised me, I don't know why I had that. It happens from time to time. I'm not an emotional guy but when I prayed in the mosque, I don't know what it was; maybe my soul had missed home because as a Muslim, the mosque is your home, and I was separated from that for a long time. And I missed it because I was in all these places of worship that are foreign to me. Catholicism is the polar opposite to Islam in that we don't have statues in a mosque, we don't have pictures. It's against our faith to do so. So, it was really strange for me, even though I understood why they were doing it. After going to all these big, grandiose, golden, ostentatious, very well decorated buildings and having no religious experience there, then visiting the mosque which by comparison was a tiny little room with just a couple of Arabic verses on the wall, that's where I felt my emotional connection. That's where I felt it.

 

I also felt it when we were in the woods, when we were with nature. It was beautiful, my best night; the best night's sleep I had was in a tent in the woods. I felt closer to Godliness in nature. And I think that's something we miss out on here in the UK and that's something that I miss because when I was a little kid in Nigeria I grew up on a farm, so it was something special from those days for me.

 

So, have you previously felt closer to God when you're outdoors or in nature, or was that a new feeling for you?

 

It's a combination. I have felt that before, but not in a long time, because I don't really have a lot of access to nature, being a South London boy. I think it did take me back to being a child, because rural Portugal could easily be anywhere in the world. It could be north or even West Africa. And some of the churches we saw had that Moorish architecture, are designed like a lot of the mosques in my country. So yeah, it was it was weird, a little bit familiar, but different.

 

Is your faith/religion something you have previously felt comfortable openly discussing with your peers, the public or within the press?

I'm not shy, I'm a Muslim, and I'm proud of it. And I'm not shy discussing my faith or spirituality with anyone as long as they come in with an open mind; I'm not going to sit down with someone who intends to mock my faith. It's not something that I hide, or I'm ashamed of, or embarrassed by. I'm very proud of my faith and I think, to some degree, that I represent or talk about it on every single platform that I'm given.

 

Has the experience changed or increased your faith? Explain

It kept everything as it was. It was interesting though to see Europeans practising a faith because you don't see that in England.   Whereas in Portugal, many of the Portuguese go to church, and that was mind blowing for me, coming from a secular country like England.

 

Since returning home from the pilgrimage, have you felt different or engaged in activities around your faith, or had a newfound interest in other religions that you would never have previously considered?

I've always had an interest in other people's religions. As children, we weren't raised in a strict religion. We were never really encouraged to do much in terms of faith, so I grew up pretty much agnostic, and it was only as I grew older that my faith kind of solidified. I’m culturally Muslim, but I've had Jewish people in my family and then they married Muslims.

 

My family when I was growing up, never forced me to go to the mosque, or made me pray. But we had all kinds of books in the house, so as a kid I grew up reading Jewish literature, Christian literature, even books on Hinduism and Sikhism. We had a really big library in Nigeria. So, I grew up reading about all the religions, but never really practised any of them, but as I grew older, I kind of came into my own understanding of Islam. And I just felt if there is a God, this approach makes sense to me. And it's funny because as I did that, other family members kind of started becoming more religious too. But everyone did it independently, there was no group.

 

You spent two weeks with a group of strangers. Did you learn anything new about yourself through the experience? Your strengths/weaknesses.

Yeah, I definitely did. Spending that much time with people, I found out stuff about myself. It's interesting to see what your limits are, when it comes to certain things and to see how patient you are. I actually was more patient than I thought I would be, which I'm relieved about.  And I left having made no enemies and got on with everyone. And so, I think that was quite a positive, reassuring thing.

 

What did you learn about the other pilgrims’ faiths that you didn’t know before?

I learned a bit more about Catholicism - a lot more facts about Catholicism from an historic point of view. I discovered about pockets of Catholicism I didn't know about before and the history of the Templars, which is pretty cool.

 

Do you think that the other pilgrims learned a lot about your religion through spending time with you on the pilgrimage?

I think a couple of them certainly did. I found that some people gravitated towards each other more, but the people that I was around probably now know more about my faith than those I wasn't around so much.

 

Did anything about this pilgrimage surprise you?

What surprised me is the amount of non-religious people who turned up to do the pilgrimage, like regular people who aren't Catholic.

 

Did you know about the pilgrimage to Fatima before you joined it?

Yes, I did. Well, I knew of the apparitions, but I didn't know it was as big as it was.

 

What do you hope Pilgrimage viewers will take away from watching you take part in this series?

I hope by watching they will have a broader perspective of history of the region. I hope when they see what faith has done historically for so many nations, giving them an identity, giving them something to rally behind, they'll learn something. I hope that I dispel any misconceptions there are about Islam, because that's always good to do. I hope everyone gains something positive from it.

 

Describe your feelings/emotions when you reached the end of the Pilgrimage and arrived in Fatima and attended the night-time vigil to celebrate the Miracle of the Sun?

Relief. I didn't have any emotional investment in the whole event because it's not holy for me. It was nice to see the effect it had on other people. It was nice to see people happy and to see Bobby get involved in certain things. But when it comes to the overall experience, I felt the closest to spiritual experience in the journey itself and being in the woods, and that for me is where the spirituality was to be had.  

 

Would you do another pilgrimage?

I want to do another pilgrimage. I want to do the Hajj and I want to do that very soon. I think whatever faith you practise; a pilgrimage is important.

 

How would you summarise your experience on the pilgrimage.

It was exhausting, eye opening and fun.