ON THE LONG ROAD FROM WALFORD TO PORTUGAL’S PILGRIMAGE TRAIL
S he has walked the streets of Walford as Roxy Mitchell in the hit BBC soap opera EastEnders, as well as braving the Australian wilderness in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2018, but for actress Rita Simons, it was her role in forthcoming show Pilgrimage: The Road through Portugal that had her beaming with happiness as she embarked on a new adventure.
“For the first time in a long time, I got to enjoy just being where I was and who I was with, knowing I’ve got a chilled life at home,” says the 46-year-old star, who shares 17-year-old twin daughters Maiya and Jaimee with her ex-husband, hairdresser Theo Silveston. “It was the first time I’ve been able to go away, do a job and not be desperately needing my kids. I knew they’d be there when I got back,” she tells HELLO!.
ON THE ROAD
With a cast of six other famous faces from different faiths and beliefs – including Christianity, Islam and agnosticism – Rita sets off with actress Su Pollard, Boyzone singer Shane Lynch, former reality TV star Vicky Pattison, TV personality Bobby Seagull, comedian Nabil Abdulrashid and Paralympic skier Millie Knight as they tackle a 364km pilgrimage in 15 days.
The three-part BBC2 docuseries follows the stars as they travel through northern Portugal to the Sanctuary in the city of Fátima, one of the biggest Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world.
But for Jewish-born Rita, it wasn’t the faith aspect that enticed her – she was drawn in by the opportunity to make joyful memories. “I have made no secret of the fact I certainly didn’t go in to find myself,” she tells us. “Hanging out with awesome people in a stunning landscape was the highlight for me. We walked around Portugal in a crazy little cast and crew of 23 lunatics and bonded like you wouldn’t believe,” she says.
Reflecting on her bond with her fellow pilgrims, it’s her relationship with 24-year-old Millie that the star holds dear. “She was like my daughter,” says Rita, excitedly talking about her connection with the athlete, who lost most of her vision by the age of six.
“She’s very intent on doing things for herself, and I’ve got a deaf daughter who does the same thing, so my natural instinct as a mum is: ‘I know you can’t see, but you don’t want me to know you can’t see, so I’m going to help you.’ Similarly, if my daughter can’t hear something, I�
