The pilgrimage is back on BBC Two this spring, with a new three-episode season in which seven celebrities “follow in the footsteps” of Saint Columba (an important figure in early British Christianity) and embark on their own spiritual journeys.
Their path takes them from the Republic of Ireland, to Northern Ireland, to Scotland as they explore their relationships with faith.
But who will participate this time? Meet famous actors on a pilgrimage to the Scottish Isles.
Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen
Faith: “nonconformist idolatry”
Interior designer and TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, best known for his appearances in Changing Rooms, believes that the pilgrimage is about “eliminating your mental closet by physical exertion and a conversation with yourself or, if you think so, then speaking with your God”.
Monte Banesar
Faith: Sikh practice
Monty Banesar, the legendary England international cricketer, “really interested in knowing how Christianity developed and learned a little bit about [himself]”.
Louisa Klein
Faith: Jewish
Louisa Klein, best known for her role on the ITV series Emmerdale, “really looking forward to learning more about what it means to be Jewish” to her. “It was a great feeling to see my kids learn Hebrew, learn Bible stories, and go to synagogue,” Klein says, especially given the impact Judaism had on her mother’s life as a Holocaust survivor.
Nick Heuer
Faith: “An atheist with Catholic roots”
Best known for his previous roles as advisor to Lord Alan Sugar on The Apprentice and as a presenter on Countdown on Channel 4, Nick Hewer makes a pilgrimage because he wants to “see if what other people think is real, and how they got there”.
Scarlett Moffat
Faith: Christian
Scarlett Moffat has been describing herself as a “Christian, but not a strict Christian,” and said she’s making a pilgrimage to be able to “answer with confidence” about her religion. Moffat is a TV presenter, podcast host, and social media influencer known for her role on the Channel 4 show Gogglebox and winning season 16 of Who Am a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!.
Shazia Mirza
Faith: Muslim
Comedian, actress and writer Shazia Mirza is best known for her stand-up comedy The Kardashians Made Me Do It, along with her articles in The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. Mirza performs a pilgrimage in the hope that he will “rise [her] to a higher level of existence [herself]”.
Will Bailey
Faith: “fallen christian”
Paralympic table tennis champion Will Bailey says of the pilgrimage: “I wouldn’t say I’m a Christian but I think this pilgrimage will push me completely to my limits.”
Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Islands begins on Friday 8 April at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
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