The Traitors' Harry Clark reveals 6 ways to enjoy Rome - including trying to see the Pope

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

When 25-year-olds go to Rome, their checklist usually runs to the Trevi Fountain, a gelato and a Colosseum selfie. But the winner of series two of The Traitors, Harry Clark, is no ordinary 25-year-old. An ex-Army engineer and devout Catholic, Clark travelled to the city with just one goal: meeting the new Pope. He even had a bespoke “Leo 14” football shirt made for the Holy Father.

“As a Catholic, Rome is the hub; it’s the centre-point of your religion,” he tells us. Following a previous documentary, Pilgrimage, Clark had joked to his producer that next he wanted to go to Rome and meet the Pope, “and ask him all the hard questions”. From that first thought came Harry Clark Goes to Rome, which sees him charm Vatican guards, secretaries and cardinals in an audacious bid to meet Leo XIV.

Was Harry (a Traitor in the reality show) granted an audience? You’ll have to watch to find out. But his mind was blown by visits to the Vatican, St Peter’s tomb and churches filled with saints’ relics. “When I walk around places like that, I think about all the ideas these people had, and what their world was like. And now Harry Clark from Slough is walking along, having a look.”

Here he shares six ways to enjoy Rome if you can’t get a powwow with the Pontiff.

Confess your sins

I didn’t know before I went, but anyone can go to confession in Rome. You can do it at certain churches – I went to St Patrick’s Catholic American Church, and it was an amazing experience. I was nervous at first because I hadn’t confessed for nearly a decade, since I was about 16. I had built up all these sins! I was there for a long old time. Confession was great for me because I’m one of those people who’s like, “Therapy? Nah, I won’t do therapy. What do these people know about me?” But when I went to confession, it really felt like therapy.

Eat all the pizza

I’m a fussy eater – usually I survive on chicken nuggets and chips. My mum, who came with me to Rome, was worried about how I’d cope. But thefood was actually perfect for me: I just lived on pizzas, focaccia and ham and cheese toasties. I’m a pepperoni guy. And luckily, I’m a big coffee drinker. The coffee is so good there – though it’s really strong. I learnt that the name “Americano” comes from when American soldiers were there during World War Two, and they needed the espresso watered down.

Pack in for the Pope

My absolute highlight was going to St Peter’s Square to receive a blessing from the Pope. You go on a Sunday at noon and the streets are packed – you stand there with thousands of other people just to see him in this small window, and he blesses you all. How crazy is that, starting your week like that? Around 40,000 people turn up for it, so it’s an incredible experience. Even though the Pope spoke in Latin, my mum and I knew exactly what was going on – you still understand every word and feel that energy.

Climb a hill

Go up one of Rome’s Seven Hills to get the best view. I went up to the top of Janiculum Hill [considered the eighth hill] to watch the sunset – you see it fall across the whole of the city. There were these huge black birds flying over the rooftops, and there’s a small church on the hillside. Unless you know the city, you wouldn’t even know it was there. There were couples queuing up to get a photo with the view – it would be a great place to propose to your partner.

See the countryside

I would recommend getting the train out of Rome – we did a trip to Assisi in Umbria. It’s a couple of hours, but worth it. Assisi is somewhere I can picture myself retiring when I’m 60 – a town on a hillside, looking out over these beautiful views. I wanted to visit the tomb of Saint Carlo Acutis [the British-born “God’s Influencer”, who died in 2006, aged 15]. He was a modern saint who created a website documenting miracles around the world, and was canonised in 2025. It’s a story that really resonates with me – usually you hear about saints from AD 500, and it’s harder to connect with that. But he was just a teenage boy.

Take a Traitor test

One thing I had to do in Rome was visit the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità). It’s this huge stone face outside a church [Santa Maria in Cosmedin], and you’re supposed to put your hand in its mouth. The legend goes that the mouth will clamp shut on your hand if you’re a liar, but if it stays open, you’re a truthful guy. So that was fun, to get to prove I’m not a traitor in real life. And no, it didn’t close!

Harry Clark Goes to Rome airs at 10:40pm on Thursday 2 April on BBC One and iPlayer.

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