BBC Two's popular Pilgrimage returns to screens this Easter weekend as another batch of celebrities embark on a spiritual journey through the Austrian and Swiss Alps.
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The group includes Jay McGuiness, Daliso Chaponda, Harry Clark, Stef Reid, Helen Lederer, Nelufar Hedaya and TV presenter Jeff Brazier, who has opened up to Radio Times magazine about his own journey with faith.
Brazier, who attended Catholic schools growing, said that spirituality and meditation, which is now a part of his everyday life, was something he returned to after Jade Goody, the mother to his two children [Bobby and Freddy], died of cervical cancer in 2009 at 27 years old.
"My early reflection on God was that if there is a God, then these things would not have happened to me," he said.
Bobby, Jeff and Freddy Brazier. Chris Harding/Getty Images
"By the time the boys lost their mum, turning to God was not an option. I just knew I had to [raise them]. I had a can-do attitude. But it was a shield and I was denying myself all the emotions."
Daily meditation and ice baths help to keep Brazier's mind clear but going into the series, he was slightly worried that his fellow pilgrims might think his beliefs of "a commitment to self-development, my relationship with the planet and everything in it... a bit of a cop-out".
"But everybody was receptive to different points of view," he added. "You are sharing your vulnerability."
By taking part in the series and going on the pilgrimage, Brazier was allowed time and space "to clarify the direction I needed to go in".
The seven celebrity pilgrims will begin their journey in the picturesque village of Inzing before facing strenuous climbs high into the Alps across the three episodes – even reaching the snow line.
Armed with a backpack and materials for walking, the pilgrims will stay in local guest houses and share rooms in a convent and pilgrim hostels over their 12-day trek.
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Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps will air on Sunday 20th April at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
