AS pilgrims go, they are an unlikely bunch – a Strictly dancer, a sitcom legend, actors, comedians and singers.
And the group, chosen for their variety of faiths and beliefs, got more than they bargained for walking the last part of the ancient Via Francigena trail for BBC show Pilgrimage: The Road To Rome, which airs on Friday.
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The eight celebrities taking part were Jewish Birds Of A Feather actress Lesley Joseph, atheist and ex-Strictly pro Brendan Cole, former Jehovah’s Witness Olympian Greg Rutherford, 1970 Eurovision champ Dana, comics Stephen K Amos and Katy Brand, and TV hosts Les Dennis and Mehreen Baig, a practising Muslim.
They donned backpacks and boots to tackle a 15-day leg of the trek as part of a journey of self-discovery.
Based on the route taken in 990AD by Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury, the Via Francigena trail traditionally starts in the Kent cathedral city and covers 1,240 miles, ending at Farfa Abbey, 40 miles from Rome.
Lesley said: “I love history and to strip back the centuries and walk through the countryside that the pilgrims would have walked through was thrilling. Some of it was really, really ancient forest land.
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“And then to walk to the Vatican through Rome excited me beyond belief.
“Obviously it’s more built up now but seeing Rome for the first time from a distance, the way they would’ve seen it, was amazing.”
These days few pilgrims walk all the way from Canterbury but many join the walk in Switzerland or Italy.
The celebs started in Martigny on the Swiss-Italian border and walked for long sections across the spine of Italy, climbing mountains and negotiating treacherous paths.
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The pilgrimage crosses the Alps at 2,500m and goes over the Great St Bernard Pass, famous for its mountain rescue dogs.
Lesley added: “It was wonderful to meet the dogs and I was even allowed to groom them — though the story that they carry cognac in barrels on their collars is apparently a myth, which is a bit of a shame.”
The route passes through Tromello, where 80-year-old local Carlo cycles around the area welcoming pilgrims and showing them his local church which is dedicated to patron saint of pilgrims San Rocco.
Other highlights include a ferry crossing of the River Po, the Roman baths at Bagno Vignoni, and the beautiful Tuscan medieval cities of Lucca and Siena.
Along the route are stop-off points at churches, hostels and cafes for travellers to stamp their Pilgrim Passport — if you get all the stamps, you are awarded a certificate.
Many locals are willing to help, too. A rest stop the celebs visited near Monteriggioni is a “donativo” where pilgrims donate whatever they can for their food and drink.
Large stretches of the trail are very rural and lots of the accommodation and restaurants are basic. Mehreen found it hard to find halal meat or fish options and had to live on salad and bread, while all the celebrities struggled with lack of sleep, owing to sharing dormitories in some of the hostels.
Despite the difficulties, they all agreed it was well worthwhile and they felt a huge sense of achievement.
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Mehreen said: “It was a full and genuine pilgrim experience. We climbed through waterfalls and forests, walked for miles and miles, sharing experiences and bonding the whole way.
“We were dirty and sweaty — there was often nowhere to shower properly or wash our clothes — but even when it was difficult, the group supported each other.”
Lesley added: “One of the highlights was walking through a forest. Trees just lay where they fell, you had to clamber over logs and streams. It was so beautiful.”
The celebrities trekked up to 18 miles a day, and all admitted it was tough in the hot summer sun, though Greg and Brendan challenged each other to a race on the last day.
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Katy had to pull out of the walk after developing blisters — specialist walking boots are a must.
She said: “It was quite overwhelming in some respects.
“I got what I wanted out of it, which was time to think and talk about religion to figure out what I believe and what I want from life. It was hard at times — many of the hostels were not comfortable, and there was a lack of meals from time to time — but those circumstances do make you bond really well with your group.”
Walkers do not have to enter any churches, and some of the atheists in the group, such as Brendan, decided not to join in services that involved being blessed.
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But for some of the celebs, it was a matter of spirituality more than religion.
Lesley said: “It’s about going into a holy place, lighting a candle to remember my mother who died at 103, and spending a few minutes thinking of my parents.
“Just quiet contemplation away from the madness of the world.
“On a trip like this you put the phone down and you just walk, and talk, and be, and it’s really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced or ever will again.”
- Pilgrimage: The Road To Rome, is on BBC Two, Friday April 5, at 9pm
