PILGRIMAGE: The road to Holy Island (BBC2, Easter Day) returns for another outing, uniting celebrities from diverse theological backgrounds for a journey following in the footsteps of ancient spiritual travellers. This pilgrimage takes place on the gorgeous, albeit rough and rugged north-east coast of England, walking the path of the saints who brought Christianity to England. The journey begins on St Hild’s Way, travelling 390km via Durham, on to St Cuthbert’s Way, and, finally, reaching Lindisfarne itself.
A variety of religious belief is reflected among this year’s crop of celebrities, including people of strong faith such as the dancer Ashley Banjo, a committed Christian (Features, 2 April), and the stand-up comedian Hasan Al-Habib, a Muslim. Among the sceptics are the comedian Ashley Blaker, a non-observant Jew, and the actress Hermione Norris, who does not subscribe to any organised religion, but believes in “inclusivity, peace, and love”. The actress Patsy Kensit describes herself as an “à la carte Catholic”, with a pick-and-mix attitude to faith, and utters the fatal admission of being “spiritual, not religious”.
I enjoy the concept of this, but struggle a little with the idea that a pilgrimage seems mostly to be understood as a “me” project, an undertaking of self-improvement. The presenter, Jayne Middlemiss, a Northumbrian native who grew up in the Church of England, has already undertaken such a mission of enlightenment in her past, on a trip to India. It was a quest that left her with further questions. Now, by following in the faith footsteps of her ancestors, she’s hoping to learn how to incorporate her faith into the real world.
A former participant in last year’s series of Pilgrimage has been exploring how to do exactly that. Harry Clark Goes to Rome (BBC 1, Maundy Thursday) is the latest programme featuring the young man unflatteringly known as Britain’s biggest liar. After his traitorous win on The Traitors in 2024, Harry appeared in Pilgrimage in 2025, and has been renewing his connection to his Roman Catholic roots ever since (Features, 10 October 2025).
His journey of faith is shot through with strength through adversity, after a period of severe, suicidal depression, from which he feels that prayer saved him. Harry is keen to explore whether prayer and infrequent church attendance are enough to make him a “good Catholic”. His journey to Rome, with the hope of meeting the Pope, is intended to help to answer that question, though I am clearly too stubbornly Anglican to understand why this step was necessary.
The programme works because Harry projects a straightforward sincerity that is very appealing. Among other things, he speaks movingly about the hopeless reality of suicidal ideation, and the power of gratitude. I shan’t reveal if his mission was successful, but he does come away with the final thought that life is definitely worth living.