Latest news with #Pilgrimage:TheRoadThroughtheAlps
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Easter on iPlayer and BBC TV
Looking for something to watch this Easter weekend? Whether you're seeking drama, entertainment or family fun, there's something for everyone on iPlayer. Here's just a selection of the Easter delights... Read more: BBC announces content for Easter and other key Faith Festivals as the Faith and Hope season returns for 2025 Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps, follows celebrity pilgrims, as they take a personal journey along a revived medieval Catholic route, travelling from just outside Innsbruck on the Austrian Camino and finishing near Lake Zurich in Switzerland. Taking part in this physical and spiritual journey are; agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha'i faith; 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 and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim. Watch Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps on iPlayer and BBC Two from Sunday 20 April. Watch Pilgrimage on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist More: Meet the Pilgrims of 2025 Gareth Malone's Messiah Gareth Malone coaches eight people with no experience of classical choral music to sing Handel's Messiah, alongside the world-class BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus of Wales, at Cardiff's Llandaff Cathedral, in aid of BBC Children in Need. In the series he whittles down hundreds of applications to the chosen eight - Foo Seng, Nia, Harry, Rosie, Aaron, Ami-Louise, Naomi, and Richard. All eight have their own personal stories and motivations, including Naomi, who has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, and Richard, who recently lost his wife to the disease. Interwoven with the singing, the series sees Gareth dig deeper into the history of Messiah, its religious meaning and its place in British culture over many generations. He visits Halifax Choral Society which has performed the work annually for 206 consecutive years and meets early music expert Dr Hannah French at Handel's home in London's Mayfair. He also spends time with Cardiff vicar, Father Jarel Robinson-Brown, looking at artworks that help explain the theme of Handel's Messiah: the life of Christ. The two one-hour documentaries will broadcast on BBC One and BBC One Wales on the mornings of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The two-hour broadcast of the performance will be shown on the evening of Easter Sunday on BBC Two and BBC Two Wales. All three episodes of Gareth Malone's Messiah will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Easter Sunday Service A joyful celebration for Easter Sunday, broadcast live from the glorious setting of St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol. Led by the Rev Laura Verrall-Kelly, the traditional service features beautiful choral music and much-loved congregational hymns, including Jesus Christ Is Risen Today. The church choir is directed by Joe Cryan, and Canon Dan Tyndall gives the sermon. It's followed by Urbi et Orbi, live from Rome at 11am. On the 12th Easter of his pontificate, the Pope's Easter message and blessing is delivered live to the city and to the world. Petroc Trelawny sets the scene. Watch on iPlayer and BBC One from 10am on Sunday 20 April Doctor Who The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power? Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Saturday 19 April Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist More: Doctor Who season 2 - Everything you need to know Our Changing Planet Our Changing Planet is an ambitious natural history series exploring the issues facing the planet's most threatened ecosystems and meeting the scientists and local conservationists fighting to make a difference. This year, we follow efforts to protect and revive our dying rivers. Two ambitious river restoration projects are aiming to bring life back to the Klamath in northern California and the Seine in Paris, France. Watch Our Changing Planet on BBC iPlayer with new episodes from Sunday 20 April Read more: Liz Bonnin and Ade Adepitan discuss Restoring Our Rivers Bluey: The Sign Bluey's longest ever episode The Sign launches on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Good Friday (18 April). Even more families across the UK will have the opportunity to enjoy this warm, heartfelt and extra-long episode of Bluey over the Easter weekend. In the extended episode, the Heeler family home is up for sale and Bluey's unhappy. But Bluey's comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it's meant to be. The next day, the Heeler home is prepping for Frisky's wedding, but when it's revealed Rad is planning a move out west after the wedding, Frisky runs away. Now Bluey has to experience her own farmer's proverb. Bluey: The Sign is available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer from Friday 18 April Watch Bluey on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Super Happy Magic Forest On Bank Holiday Monday, brand new episodes of fun-filled comedy quest adventure series Super Happy Magic Forest launch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The all-star voice cast are back, including Judi Love (Loose Women, Taskmaster), Julian Barrett (The Mighty Boosh, Moominvalley), Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat, Gary: Tank Commander), Spencer Jones (Ted Lasso), Jules De Jongh (Thomas & Friends, Lilybuds) and Oliver Chris (Rivals, The Crown). The series features five heroes united by their mutual love of questing, picnics and frolicking! From Monday 21 April new episodes will be available on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. The series also enjoys success beyond the screen, with four CBBC web games, including physics game Picnic Puzzler, and on Roblox with its own platform game as part of BBC's Wonder Chase experience. Watch Super Happy Magic Forest on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist CBeebies Bedtime Stories CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be making sure that you and your little ones can't wait for bedtime over the bank holiday weekend, with an egg-citing line-up of celebrities reading some cracking new stories! CBeebies Bedtime Stories favourite Tom Hardy leads the Easter weekend fun on Friday 18 April with a reading of Milo's Monster: A Big Bright Feelings Book written and illustrated by Tom Percival. Singer and YouTuber Talia Mar will then read Nature's Toy Box by Wenda Shurety and illustrated by Harriet Hobday on Saturday. BBC Radio 2's Good Morning Sunday co-presenter, Rev. Kate Bottley, has a bunny-tastic adventure in store for family audiences, with a reading of The Hot Cross Bunny written by Carys Bexington and illustrated by Mark A. Chambers on Easter Sunday. Then rounding off the weekend of fun, comedian Mo Gilligan reads Oh No, George! written and illustrated by Chris Haughton on Monday 21 April. CBeebies Bedtime Stories is on each weekday at 6.50pm on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer Snooker World Championship The biggest event in the snooker calendar is back, as the 2025 World Snooker Championship takes centre stage at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May. Reigning World Champion Kyren Wilson will be out to retain his crown, but with fierce competition, the battle for the title is set to be tough as the steel city itself. BBC Sport will once again provide extensive coverage of the World Championship ensuring fans won't miss a moment of the action. Watch live coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, iPlayer and evening sessions on BBC Four. Matches will be shown in full from the opening round to the final, with every ball potted shown on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website/app. Women's Six Nations You can follow live coverage of the Women's Six Nations across the BBC over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. On Saturday, Italy faces France in Parma on BBC iPlayer while England hosts Scotland on BBC Two and iPlayer, with Gabby Logan and guests Simon Middleton, Deborah McCormack, Heather Lockhart and Katy Daley-McLean. On Sunday, Catrin Heledd is joined by former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap and Sioned Harries as Wales welcome Ireland to Rodney Parade on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer. Movies on iPlayer If you're eager for an Easter movie night you won't be short of films for all ages. From family fun with Lightyear, Peter Rabbit, Dumbo and more (Shrek 1, 2 and 3, anyone?) to Classic Films and Musicals including Easter Parade and new arrivals like Priscilla (from Sunday 20 April), there's something for everyone. Watch Feel-good Family Fun Films on BBC iPlayer Watch Classic Films and Musicals on BBC iPlayer
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Seven celebrities take a pilgrimage through the Austrian and Swiss Alps for brand new BBC Two and iPlayer series
With Easter approaching, the annual Pilgrimage series is returning to BBC Two and iPlayer next month, as seven well known personalities, of differing faiths and beliefs, tackle a challenging 300km pilgrimage, through the majestic and awe-inspiring Austrian and Swiss Alps. Across 3 x 60 minute episodes, the brand new, Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps, will follow celebrity pilgrims, as they take a personal journey along a revived medieval Catholic route, travelling from just outside Innsbruck on the Austrian Camino and finishing near Lake Zurich in Switzerland. Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps will be part of the BBC's forthcoming Faith and Hope Season, details of which will be announced soon. Taking part in this physical and spiritual journey are; agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha'i faith; 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 and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim. The seven pilgrims begin their Camino in the picturesque village of Inzing, 17km outside the Tyrolean capital. Over twelve 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 a thousand years ago by followers of the famous hermit St Meinrad, the abbey attracts almost a million pilgrims and visitors every year. They are drawn by its venerated Black Madonna, its unique history and the Benedictine monks who live and worship there. Armed with a backpack each, the pilgrims will stay in local guest houses, as well as sharing rooms in a convent and pilgrim hostels. Revealing their thoughts on their faith and why they wanted to take part in this Pilgrimage, the celebrity pilgrims commented: Harry Clark 24, Slough 'I've always had faith. I was baptized and all my family are Catholic. I was an altar server in church and played the violin in church with my sister, so I was always around faith. I'm so excited to go on this Pilgrimage, to meet the other pilgrims and find out about their religions, what they believe in and why, and if they don't believe, why? Because I've questioned who God is my whole life, not in a bad way, but as in no one knows who God is.' Helen Lederer 70, London '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.' Jay McGuiness 34, Los Angeles, California (originally London, via Nottinghamshire) 'I agreed to go on this Pilgrimage because it just sounded the perfect thing to do. I was born and raised in Nottinghamshire to an Irish Catholic family and we'd go to our Catholic school and sing church songs and on Sunday, we'd all go and sit next to each other on the pew. But as time's gone on, I think that the rule book that comes with being a Catholic, is too judgmental for where I am. I think the closest I can get to what I am, would be considered agnostic. I don't believe there is a God, and I don't believe there isn't. I think it's impossible for us to know, and maybe that's what being a human is; we are stuck here in this mortal realm, and you only find out once you go beyond the curtain. But I would love to know a little bit more about what I am. So, I'm looking forward to that. Who knows what I'll find on this Pilgrimage.' Jeff Brazier 45, London 'The best way to describe my faith is spiritual. I would say the universe is what guides me, the universe just chucks whatever I need at me, whenever I need it. To answer the question – what is God - is a really tough one, but for me right now, I would say God is love; so God can be within all of us. I also love learning from people and on our Pilgrimage, there is every chance that there might be some sort of transformation in terms of my beliefs, my views. So, I see it as a wonderful opportunity to just explore some themes and some conversations that I probably don't have very often.' Daliso Chaponda 45, London '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, 'this is what I am'.' Stef Reid 40, Loughborough 'I would describe myself as a Christian and for me, the fundamental thing is to ask if we believe that Jesus was the son of God, and are we trying to live like him and make the world a better place? And if so, awesome. I have a strong faith, but it doesn't mean that life doesn't get really hard, and I've had a lot of questions to answer recently. I need time to think but I've just not given myself the time, even though I know it's so important. I have never done a Pilgrimage and it's scary because thoughts are going to come up, but they have to come up, otherwise we're never going to move on and think about newer or better things.' Nelufar Hedayat 37, London (originally Kabul, Afghanistan) 'I was born in Kabul, in Afghanistan. When I was a young refugee in Britain, my faith took a firm back seat as that was part of my past and why I was here, so I didn't want anything to do with it. Those feelings lasted for quite a while, until I was at secondary school when I was with other young Muslims, and I realised I could be both British and Muslim. As a modern Muslim, I'm trying to find a way through the faith that I was born into, and even now, it's strained at the very best. I get really annoyed when people think that faith is a box ticking exercise. Faith is an experience and it's one you can be drawn to and drawn away from. So, I want to bring a sense of openness to this Pilgrimage. I want to bring myself, but I'm angry with God and I want to find a connection to God that isn't me feeling anger or disillusionment and that's what I'm most looking forward to. Daisy Scalchi, BBC's Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics, says: '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 and CEO, CTVC says: '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…' Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps (3 x 60 minutes) is a CTVC production and has been commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The series is Executive Produced by CTVC's Caroline Matthews and Michele Kurland and Series Produced by Toni Williamson. The Commissioning Editor is Daisy Scalchi, Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics. GD
