Seven celebrities will embark on a 12-day spiritual journey across North East England for the new series of the BBC show
Tasha Ghouri from Love Island and soap icon Patsy Kensit are amongst the celebrities donning their walking boots for the BBC‘s Pilgrimage.
The stars have signed up to the latest series of the programme, which follows famous faces from various faiths and backgrounds embarking on a 12-day trek across the rugged terrain of North East England to discover the lives of early Celtic Christian saints.
Diversity’s Ashley Banjo, Spooks and Cold Feet actress Hermione Norris, comics Hasan Al-Habib and Ashley Blaker, and radio host Jayne Middlemiss are also undertaking the spiritual expedition in the three-part series, provisionally titled Pilgrimage: The Road to Holy Island.
The celebrities will journey on foot and by bus through Northumberland’s heartland along a 390km network of paths, carrying their own rucksacks and sleeping in wooden cabins, a hostel and a basic dormitory throughout.
Speaking about her decision to participate, Tasha, 27, revealed that whilst she wasn’t religious, she was “genuinely curious and eager to step into something unfamiliar with an open heart and an open mind”, reports OK!
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“I’m looking forward to learning alongside the other pilgrims, each of us coming from completely different backgrounds and beliefs,” she said. “For me, this is about growth, reflection, and understanding faith from the inside out, not through assumptions or what other people say. I also want to explore what spirituality might mean beyond religion, and to do that with others who are also open to questioning and evolving.”
Patsy, 57, expressed that the journey arrived at a point in her life when she felt the need “to slow down and really listen, to myself, to others and to something beyond the noise of everyday life”.
The actress, recognised for her roles in popular soaps such as Emmerdale, EastEnders and Holby City, continued: “I’ve spent much of my life moving forward but this feels like a rare chance to pause and reflect.
“I’m not sure what I’ll find along the way but I hope the journey will help me reconnect with what matters most and give me a deeper sense of perspective, gratitude and understanding – both of myself and the world around me.”
The journey will take the celebrities to Whitby’s renowned cliff top Abbey, and two of the North East’s most significant pilgrimage sites – the UNESCO site of Durham Cathedral and their final stop, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
They will also pay a visit to Newcastle’s Reform Synagogue and the ‘Nether Springs’ retreat centre, where the daily routines of the community are inspired by the 7th century northern saints.
Daisy Scalchi, BBC’s Head of Religion and Ethics for television, commented: “What better way to embrace different perspectives and outlooks than walking with people who can open our hearts and minds to new ways of seeing the world.
“Pilgrimage is like no other show on TV and I’m so excited to see a new group strap on their walking boots for what will be an inspiring journey through one of England’s most dramatic landscapes.”
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Pilgrimage will air on BBC Two and iPlayer



