Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal cast – Full line-up of celebrities
The seven stars will be travelling 364km across northern Portugal together in the latest instalment of this thought-provoking BBC series.
BBC's Pilgrimage is back for another season - and this time, seven celebrities will be trekking across northern Portugal.
Their destination will be the city of Fatima, where three children saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary back in 2017; since then, Fatima has become one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year.
The seven famous faces will begin their journey on Portugal's northern border, before following the Fatima Way for 364km, eventually arriving in the city in time for a special candlelit vigil. All of them come from different religious backgrounds and have different ideas about faith, which they'll be discussing - and challenging - along the way.
Here's your guide to the stars taking part in Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal.
Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal cast
Su Pollard
Age: 72
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Job: Actor
Instagram: @officialsupollard
Twitter: n/a
Pollard is best known for her role as chalet maid Peggy in the BBC comedy Hi-de-Hi!, set in a holiday camp in a fictional seaside town.
She stayed on the show for all nine seasons, during which time she had a number two single, presented children's TV and co-hosted It's a Royal Knockout, the infamous royal spin-off of the TV competition.
Pollard has also appeared in sitcoms like You Rang, M'Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching.
"I'm not deeply religious but I do like to think that God is my friend and when you're on a journey like this, without your usual comforting things around you, you've got more time to talk to yourself and ask yourself certain questions," she said ahead of taking part in Pilgrimage.
Bobby Seagull
Age: 38
Job: Broadcaster and mathematician
Instagram: @bobby_seagull
Twitter: @bobby_seagull
Bobby Seagull appeared on University Challenge in 2017, as part of the team from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Since then, he has co-hosted radio and TV shows alongside fellow University Challenge contestant Eric Monkman (who was part of a rival team, representing Wolfson College).
He has presented maths challenges on BBC Radio 4 and in 2021 appeared as a "trapper" on the Channel 4 game show The Answer Trap. His book The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers was published in 2019.
Seagull said that he decided to take on the pilgrimage "because I've reached a crossroads in my life where faith has played a big part, but at stages it has drifted". Now, he wants to "understand whether faith can play a big part in my life going forward" - and is even "hoping there could be a new Bobby at the end of this experience".
Vicky Pattison
Age: 34
Job: Reality TV star and influencer
Instagram: @vickypattison
Twitter: @vickypattison
Since she made her debut on Geordie Shore back in 2011, Vicky Pattison has become a fixture on the UK’s reality TV scene, appearing in shows like Ex on the Beach and going on to win I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.
She had a stint as a regular panellist on Loose Women following her time in the jungle, and has also taken part in shows like Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Coach Trip and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. She also headed back Down Under in 2018 to take part in the Aussie version of I'm a Celeb, eventually coming in fourth place.
Last year, she presented the Channel 4 documentary Alcohol, Dad and Me, which saw Pattison confront her relationship with alcohol and explore how her father's drinking impacted her upbringing.
"I think by challenging myself and by getting out of my comfort zone, that's when I can broaden my horizons," she said. "I know there'll be some differing viewpoints, some faiths I'm not familiar with, some opinions that are probably different to mine, but I think the key to us all getting along is just understanding."
Rita Simons
Age: 45
Job: Actor
Instagram: @rita_simonsofficial
Twitter: @officialrita
Best known for her role as Roxy Mitchell on EastEnders, Rita Simons appeared on the BBC soap from 2007 to 2017. Before that, though, she was a member of Noughties girl group Girls@Play, who released two top 30 singles and supported the likes of Hear’Say and Steps on tour.
Since leaving Albert Square behind, Simons has appeared in stage musicals like Legally Blonde and Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and had a role in the ITV detective drama Professor T. In 2018, she took part in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
"I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I am about revealing to the Jewish community how little I practise the religion," she said ahead of appearing on the show. "I do think it's very important to know who you are, regardless of how people may judge you and I am comfortable at 45 with who I am."
Shane Lynch
Age: 46
Job: Singer
Instagram: @shanelynchlife
Twitter: @shanelynchlife
Lynch secured a spot in Boyzone after auditioning for manager Louis Walsh in Dublin, who was trying to create the Irish answer to Take That.
The group went on to earn six UK number one singles, before splitting up in 1999, but have since reunited a handful of times.
Though Lynch was known as the 'bad boy' of the band thanks to his tattoos and sweary outbursts, he became a born-again Christian in 2003.
"My relationship with God is very tight and I love it," he said. "The reason why I'm taking on this pilgrimage is just to find a bit of clarity in my life. I want to put myself into a position that I've never experienced before and hopefully find out some amazing and emotional things, so this pilgrimage for me is all about the knowledge I can gather, and about my God."
Millie Knight
Age: 23
Job: Skier and Paralympian
Instagram: @knight_millie
Twitter: @knight_millie
Skier Millie Knight, who lost the majority of her sight at the age of six, began training with the British Paralympic development squad in 2013, before making her Winter Paralympic debut at Sochi the following year. Aged 15, she was the youngest ever Team GB competitor at a winter Paralympics.
Since then, Knight has won silver and bronze Paralympic medals, and took home gold medals at the World Championships in 2017 and 2022.
"I definitely believe in God but it's not something I really talk about publicly - it's something I keep very private," she said. "Whether it's exploring other people's faiths or just being inquisitive, I think this pilgrimage could be really cool. I think to question and to doubt faith is the way to gain strength."
Nabil Abdulrashid
Age: 37
Job: Comedian
Instagram: @manlikenabz
Twitter: @nabilu
Back in 2010, 25-year-old Nabil Abdulrashid became the youngest Black comedian to perform stand-up at the Hammersmith Apollo. Ten years later, he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, receiving a golden buzzer from Alesha Dixon which catapulted him into the semi-finals. He ended up coming in fourth place.
"I went on a pilgrimage to Mecca as a kid, but I'm yet to do it as an adult, so it's kind of funny that I'm going on a Catholic pilgrimage first," he said. "Obviously, I will not be partaking in any of the religious rituals, but I'll obviously give them their due respect, as I like seeing and learning new things. Watching any group of people do something for the sake of God, even if it's not my way, will be inspiring."
Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal starts on Friday 7th April on BBC Two. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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