Helen Lederer on taking part in the BBC's Pilgrimage

The new series of Pilgrimage airs this way as seven famous faces of differing faiths  tackle a challenging 300km  trek across the Alps, inspired by the medieval route taken by followers of the famous hermit. 

Taking part are: agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer with boy band The Wanted; and comedy actor Helen Lederer, who has a a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic Harry Clark, winner of the second series of The Traitors; stand-up comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a religious Christian family but is now veering towards the Baha’i faith; presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now defines himself as spiritual; retired Paralympian and practicing Christian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim.

Here, Lederer talks about the experience. 

What were you expecting from your Pilgrimage?

I was expecting to be anxious about the physical demands and requirements of actually walking (uphill) longer distances than I have ever done before - I didn’t want to be the last!

Any revelations about yourself or your faith?

I began cautiously, in the sense that I didn’t NOT have a faith, but it was nebulous in that any ‘belief’ didn’t belong to any one defined religion. I ended up being more certain there was an ‘other’ and feeling closer to that than I had anticipated.

Did you have to prepare for the pilgrimage?

I bought myself some proper walking boots from a proper walking boot shop and made myself walk a few thousand steps every day more or less… If I hadn’t done that, I would not have been able to do it – we had to buy certain kit which was a first for me and be fitted with a rucksack as if it was a bra!

In hindsight, was there anything you should have done?

I should have been more prepared as to the range of personality types that are inevitable in any group of strangers and I should have seen that as a positive from the start…I’d have liked to have been more zen!

What was the biggest challenge?

One day when the walk was very, very high and it was pouring with rain and we needed to reach the summit. On the other hand, when I did it with the help of Jay and Harry, it felt wonderful.

What was your highlight?

My birthday party spent in a curiously eccentric pilgrim hotel with lots of chickens in the fridge but a huge cake for me and lots of laughs from fellow pilgrims, who had been strangers just a few weeks before. We all wanted a party, and we got one!

Did you find the experience emotional?

At times. Talking to some fellow pilgrims about their stories and being released from everyday life meant we shared more with each other. The rhythm of walking released some inhibitions, and we got close to our own ‘purpose’ far quicker.

Some people become leaders, some become talkers etc.  Jay cried when we spoke of the death of his dear friend, Tom (Parker) together and I found that to be a really emotional experience.

I didn’t expect to be so emotional.

What helps you explain the world?

Humanity towards others, kindness and the fact that we all want to survive and celebrate the time we have on this earth.

Is your faith something you have previously felt comfortable openly discussing?

No not at all. It hasn’t featured in my conversations in the past.

Has the experience changed or increased your faith?

I became closer to feeling a faith that was there all along, it’s just been a bit buried. It has heightened the importance for humans to have faith, however that is defined or interpreted.

I found watching how others opened up almost more touching than when I spoke with the ones I connected with most. These conversations and experiences were a reminder for me that we are all similar and trying to make sense of our lives with the same urgency.

Since returning from the pilgrimage, I have found myself becoming more open. Being with others gave me an opportunity to become more tolerant and to feel kindness towards others. I have found myself walking more, and I now invite others to walk with me. I feel the need for nature more, so since I’ve returned and I’ve found myself looking up more, and now I see more trees.

Has the experience changed you in any way?

Yes, I made a good friend in Jay McGuiness, I laughed more than I had done for a long time and I felt the joy of camaraderie and shared goals.

You spent two weeks with a group of strangers. Did you learn anything new about yourself?

I learnt that I need to be more tolerant of people who have a different vibration to me and I learned that I loved being made to laugh, as well as making people laugh.

Did it highlight any particular strengths or weaknesses?

That I need to be more self-reliant, and zen...

What did you learn about other faiths that you didn’t know before?

I learned that I didn’t know much about the Baha’i faith, which sounds very intriguing and tolerant, and I learned that Stef knows loads about the Bible, which was impressive and fascinating also.

Before  this pilgrimage, had you ever found yourself discussing faith and religion with your contemporaries before?

Yes... stemming from a philosophy module I did years ago, when we tried to establish what is good and what is real and what is right and what is wrong. Morality is a fascinating subject.

What do you hope viewers will take away from watching you in this series?

I think people will see me more as someone who thinks a lot, because I don’t think that comes across in my work life.

How did you feel when you reached final moments of the Pilgrimage?

When we came to the end, I felt sad, reflective and changed. I found that to have become close to people is triggering, especially when you have to say goodbye.

I found this pilgrimage life affirming… It was there to teach me some things I didn’t know I needed to be taught, ie. to be tolerant towards others.

• Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps is on BBC Two at 9pm on Sunday  and on iPlayer

Published: 17 Apr 2025