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Rita Simons ‘WHAT A GORGEOUS BUNCH OF PEOPLE!’
The actor joins six celebs on a trek across Portugal…
Another bunch of famous faces with different faiths and beliefs don their walking boots and backpacks for the latest series of Pilgrimage on BBC2.
The celebrity pilgrims are Boyzone singer Shane Lynch, Hi-de-Hi! legend Su Pollard, University Challenge brainbox Bobby Seagull, reality TV star Vicky Pattison, comedian Nabil Abdulrashid, Paralympic skier Millie Knight and actor Rita Simons, who’s best known for playing EastEnders’ Roxy Mitchell from 2007 to 2017.
‘I took part because it sounded like a great experience,’ says Rita. ‘They were a gorgeous bunch of people to spend time with! We laughed so much and I had the time of my life!’
The three-parter follows the celebs as they take a 364km hike to the sanctuary in the city of Fatima, where three children reported seeing several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917.
Over 15 days, they will travel through the country’s stunning landscape, towns and villages, and sleep in some rough-and-ready places, including hostels, a basic campsite and a fire station, before reaching their destination in time to join 70,000 other pilgrims for a spectacular candlelit vigil at the site of the apparitions.
Rita’s previously had experience of slumming it when she took part in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2018. So how does this challenge compare to that?
‘This was luxury because we had food and beds for the night,’ says Rita. ‘In the jungle, I was sleeping on the ground, surrounded by snakes, with spiders crawling up my nose!’
✣ Pilgrimage: The Road Through Portugal is on BBC2
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