Comedians take on 300km trek through the Alps

Daliso Chaponda and Helen Lederer are among the celebrities taking part in this years’ BBC Pilgrimage.

This Easter the famous faces, of differing faiths and beliefs, tackle a challenging 300km journey, through the Alps, following a revived medieval Catholic route starting from Innsbruck in Austria  and finishing near Lake Zurich in Switzerland.

Chaponda, 45, grew up in a Christian family but is exploring other faiths.

He said: ‘I think I will struggle a lot with the physical part of the Pilgrimage. I mostly live a very sedentary life.  Typing is the most physical I get. I am expecting to be in a lot of pain, very tired, and possibly the slowest person in the group.

‘I believe in God, and I believe there are many paths to worship God, so I am hoping this Pilgrimage will help me find some definition.  I grew up in 14 different countries, and my family was religious, but I don't know yet which is the perfect path for me. I feel weird labeling myself with a particular faith because I feel like I'm no faith and all faiths. 

‘I know that I'm close to Baha’i, I know I'm close to Quaker, I know I'm close to Unitarian, but I'm not anything yet. Maybe by the end of the Pilgrimage I'll be able to say, ‘"his is what I am".’

Lederer, 70, said: ‘The concept of a pilgrimage is probably one of endurance, challenge, pain, anxiety, difficulties.  So obviously I was drawn to it! I think it's an opportunity that probably won't present itself to me again. 

‘My faith is that I believe in God but I'm not sure what the God is. My father was born into a Jewish family.  Although my Czechoslovakian grandparents were cultural Jews, they never talked about faith. My mother came from the Isle of Wight, and I’m told I was christened. 

‘Being a mix means that you have respect for both things and there is a particular quality I'm learning and feeling more as I get even older, that you can't shed your background. So, with my mixed background, with all the pain of my family that isn't mine, but theirs, I want to be able to turn it into something that will give me a bit of peace.’

Also taking part in the three hour-long episodes, due to air next month, are:

• Agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wante
• The Traitors star Harry Clark, a practising Catholic
• Presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now is spiritual and meditates as part of his everyday life;
• Retired Paralympian and practising Christian Stef Reid
• Journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim.

The seven pilgrims begin their journey in the picturesque village of Inzing, 17km outside the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. 

Over 12 days, they will face strenuous climbs, high into the Alps, even reaching the snow line. They will follow the ancient path west across the Arlberg pass, the highest point on the camino, and continue to their final destination in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, Einsiedeln Abbey. 

Originally inspired over 1,000 years ago by followers of the hermit St Meinrad, the abbey attracts almost a million pilgrims and other visitors every year. They are drawn by its venerated Black Madonna, its unique history and the Benedictine monks who live and worship there.

Daisy Scalchi, the BBC's head of commissioning of religion and ethics, said: ‘The cast of this year’s Pilgrimage embraced the challenge of the journey - and then some. They each laid their souls bare as they got to know one another, trekking together through stunning, and often challenging, landscapes. I hope viewers will connect with their honesty and genuine curiosity about what guides us all through life.’

Caroline Matthews, executive producer  with production house CTVC added: ‘Pilgrimage always delivers something new and unexpected!  Against the epic backdrop of the Alps, our incredible celebrity pilgrims take a deep dive into faith, whilst pondering life’s big questions. Cue tears, laughter, struggles and an outdoor bathtub with an Austrian hostel owner…’

Published: 20 Mar 2025