Pilgrimage

Lets be honest. This is not really a true reflection of pilgrimage.

The celebrities don't spend each night in albergues or pilgrim accommodation, they dint walk the whole way, the episodes are edited deliberately to fool you into thinking the celebs do the pilgrimage like everyone else.

For instance in the Road to Portugal Ep1 the pilgrims are seen walking the wrong way. They also say that they have a meeting place "just outside Ponte de Lima" when in fact its 10km away and in the morning they just skip to Ponte de Lima so you know they slept somewhere nice off camera and just taxi them to town.

There's no real deep insight into pilgrimage, faith or religion. It's just candy floss watching with uninteresting Z listers. This would be much more endearing with "real" people doing a true pilgrimage.

I wouldn't expect it from the BBC but they aren't the broadcaster they used ti be. If you've never walked a pilgrimage you'll probably enjoy it but this is not a watch for anyone with knowledge of pilgrimage.

Beautiful scenery and interesting conversation as the 'stars' make their pilgrimage. The humanist, the atheist, the convert, the priest, a couple of indifference, and the one with so many chips on her shoulder be it race, religion or sex, she spoils the atmosphere most days. The back stories for most of the participants is fascinating, as our those of the people they meet.

I am not religious myself but I do love this programme. Each series is beautifully shot and the majority of the times the celebrities I'm not that fond of at the start wnd up being the ones I love the most. Beautiful to remove the celebrity mask and see the vulnerability and hear their stories

I love the respect each of the celebrities have for one another and their faiths.

It's lovely to see religion and faith unite rather than destroy.

The diversity of each cast is beautiful to see.

Yes, they may not truly do the walks as they are intended but to me it's more important that see the good and understanding and acceptance this journey has and we should learn from that.

Road To Santiago

Deeply insulting and patronising display of Z listers and their egos. This programme could have achieved so much yet fell sadly short of every expectation.

The very definition of pilgrim on a pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. These "celebrity" travellers show no insight at all of themselves or the history or significance of pilgrimage. Simon Reeve, in his documentary in 2013 covered in 10 minutes what these people took days to understand, Neil Morrissey was surprised their was a difference between a 56 day pilgrimage and a stroll on Hampstead Heath in the last 5 kilometres, give me strength duh!

Surprisingly the most morally deficit is the Priest Kate Bottley who matronises everyone relentlessly. She overlays religion with a liberal authoritarianism totally at odds with any Christian tradition.

I was going to go into detail about the other travellers but this might give credence to the mundanity of their collective thoughts, so I will leave it.

Why was this tripe made and why did anyone watch it I have no clue.

I know the pilgrims don't walk the whole trail and are not leaders of their church communities. And I know that the conversations are staged for filming.

However, it is informative to listen to people from diverse backgrounds and experience talk through their spiritual feelings. The gentle pace proves the chance for self-reflection. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss views with family, a topic that is not often referred to in my household.

Whether the trail is in the UK or Europe, the scenery is unfailingly spectacular with the landscapes and buildings the real stars of the show.