PILGRIMS' WAY

SU POLLARD and RITA SIMONS on their epic journey through Portugal

- TESS LAMACRAFT

PILGRIMAGE
GOOD FRIDAY, 9PM, BBC2
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There is a genuine, lovely bond between former EastEnders favourite Rita Simons and Hi-deHi! star Su Pollard when TV Times joins them for a chat over coffee in central London.

The jovial pair are among the brand-new group of celebrities pulling on their walking boots to embark on a 15-day journey of self-discovery as BBC2’s popular series Pilgrimage returns for a fifth outing this week.

After previous treks to Santiago, Rome, Istanbul and the Scottish Isles, the latest three-part run will see the seven famous faces, who each have different religious beliefs and backgrounds, travel over 360km along the northern route of the Fátima Way in Portugal.

Also on the adventure are Boyzone singer Shane Lynch, reality TV star Vicky Pattison, maths whizz Bobby Seagull, comedian Nabil Abdulrashid and Paralympic skier Millie Knight.

‘The best thing about this was the friendships we made and living in the moment,’ enthuses Su, 73, who was raised Church of England. Jewish actor Rita, 46, agrees: ‘It was such a gorgeous group of people and there was a lot of laughter. I had the time of my life!’

Here, Su and Rita tell us more…

What did your family and friends think about you taking part?