15 February 2024 , 20:00
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Christine McGuinness says she won’t let her autism hold her back after she was announced as one of the celebrities tackling a modern-day pilgrimage along the North Wales Pilgrim’s Way.
The BBC series will see seven famous faces take a personal journey along a route that celebrates Celtic early Christian saints, with Bardsey Island the fabled ‘Island of 20,000 saints’, just off the western tip of the Llyn Peninsula - as their final destination. TV star Christine, who split from husband Paddy in July 22, is determined to get out of her comfort zone in life.
She said: “Since my autism diagnosis, it’s really made me want to grab opportunities with both hands. I want to say yes to more things, things that I would always say no to, because I find socialising quite awkward. I don’t really like being pushed out of my comfort zone , but I’m realising more and more that I want to live, I want to do more things, I want to have good memories, I want to make friends, I want to learn more about other people, and the only way I can do that is by pushing myself a bit.”
She describes herself as 'spiritual' but doesn’t practise one particular faith
She took up the challenge with Michaela Strachan for the programmeChristine was diagnosed with autism in 2021 and last year made a BBC documentary on the subject. She and Paddy are parents to three children - twins Penelope and Leo and Felicity also have autism. She describes herself as " spiritual" but doesn’t practise one particular faith.
Former Made In Chelsea and I'm A Celeb contestant Spencer Matthews, who is also taking part in the pilgrimage, relished the challenge as it helps him to look into what he believes in. He describes himself as 'christened Church of England but still searching for answers to life’s big questions' and said: "A pilgrimage is when you walk and sleep on church floors and eat dead rats and stuff, which I’m looking forward to.
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"I’d be pretty low in the faith knowledge bracket, but I’m on a quest to broaden my knowledge and religious horizons. I’m an open mind, an open book. I want to learn about different faiths, cultures and religions and develop a firm understanding of my faith and how it can potentially play a larger role in my life."
Spencer Matthews, Sonali Shah, Eshaan Akbar, Amanda Lovett and Tom Rosenthal all joined them (BBC)Other celebs taking part include wild life presenter Michaela Strachan, who places her faith in the natural world; Sonali Shah, a journalist and TV presenter who was raised in a Jain household; comedian Eshaan Akbar, a lapsed Muslim; Amanda Lovett, a practising Catholic, who catapulted to public attention in the first series of BBC’s The Traitors and actor Tom Rosenthal, star of Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner.
Created in 2011, the North Wales Pilgrim’s Way is linked by ancient churches dedicated to sixth and seventh century saints, but also takes pilgrims through outstanding places of natural beauty in the mountain ranges of Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, and the North Wales coast path. Travelling for two weeks on foot and by bus, the seven celebrity pilgrims start their 220km adventure at Flint Castle on the bank of the Dee Estuary, and follow the coastal path to Greenfield Valley and the official start of the pilgrim way.
The pilgrims will be faced with challenging paths and climbs as they traverse North Wales, tackling the foothills of spectacular mountain ranges, as well as taking on England and Wales’ highest peak Yr Wydffa, also known as Mount Snowdon. Carrying their own backpacks, they’ll sleep in basic accommodation from a caravan to a climbers’ hut, as well as experiencing an eco-retreat in an ancient oak forest and a Buddhist meditation Centre.
Their final destination is Bardsey Island, or Ynys Enlli, which means ‘isle of currents’. It was a popular destination among early Christian monks and hermits, who believed Bardsey was the end of the world; a place where the distance between heaven and earth becomes intangible and so becomes a place of guaranteed resurrection.
Daisy Scalchi, BBC's Head of Religion and Ethics for television, says: “Pilgrimage is a series like no other; getting into the heart and soul of who we are and what makes life meaningful. All 7 pilgrims embraced the journey wholeheartedly, with extraordinary honesty and generosity towards one another. It’s inspiring, and thought-provoking, to watch.”
- Pilgrimage: The Road to Wild Wales is coming soon to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer