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Daily Record
Entertainment
Magdalene Dalziel

Scarlett Moffat 'found God' on life-changing pilgrimage to Scotland

Scarlett Moffat has "found God" after a journey through some of the most religious spots in Scotland.

The former Gogglebox star is taking part in new BBC show Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Isles, which hits screens on Friday.

Scarlett is usually best known for her bubbly personality and fun presenting style on a range of TV shows and radio, but is setting her sights on something a bit more spiritual.

The 31-year-old appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier today where she told hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley that she now identifies as a Christian after taking part in the four-part series.

Scarlett said she'd never really had the opportunity to explore her religious beliefs before but her trip to Scotland had changed her life.

She said: "My grandad was religious and if you’d asked me (before the show) I'd say I believe in god, I'd say a prayer before a flight, when I was in a sad place, when I needed him (god) but I didn’t really know what religion was.

"When I got approached for this, I thought I actually want to know what religion means to me.

"It was just really thought provoking, before, I was always on the phone or chatting to friends, I never got a moment to stop and think about things, now I do."

Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway were the hosts for GMB this morning (ITV)

Host Richard Madeley, never one to hold back on the pressing questions, asked Scarlett what exactly it is she believes in now: "god, the afterlife, heaven and that Jesus is the son of god?"

She replied: "So I would say I’m a Christian yes, which I wouldn’t ever say before, I'm still getting used to the idea of being Christian.

"I knew when we went to live with some monks, we were chatting about beliefs and it became a debate as religion so often does and I found myself defending how I felt and that's how I knew that it now means a lot to me."

Madeley replied: "I don’t believe any of it and I envy you, my mum had faith and it was a huge comfort when she was dying and I wish I had the same thing."

Alongside six other celebrities with differing faiths and beliefs, Scarlett put on her backpack and waterproofs and set out on foot, by road and sea, travelling over 1,600km to learn about a key figure in early British Christianity, 6th-century Irish monk, St Columba.

The group, all of different faiths, will be seen starting their route for the three-part series in Donegal, Ireland and ending it in Scotland on the tiny island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides.

Along the way they are set to test themselves both physically and spiritually as they visit different places of worship including a Sikh temple and Pagan stones and get involved in discussions about their different faiths and beliefs.

Scarlett features alongside Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, England cricketing legend Monty Panesar, Emmerdale's Louisa Clein, former Countdown host and Apprentice advisor Nick Hewer, comedian Shazia Mirza and Paralympian Will Bayley.

The pilgrimage takes 15 days to complete and starts out in Donegal.

The next leg takes them over the sea by boat to the west of Scotland and from there they head to the Highlands before exploring the Hebridean Isle of Lewis and Harris.

The route then goes to Stornaway and to the Calanais Stones before arriving at the final destination, Iona, the tiny island in the Inner Hebrides and the site of Saint Columba’s most revered monastery.

The three-hour-long episodes have been made by CTVC, whose chief executive Caroline Matthews said: "I’m incredibly proud of this series and for the conversations around faith between our celebrity pilgrims. It’s truly fascinating to watch and I hope those conversations will extend to our audience, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Isles will air on Friday, April 8 at 9pm on BBC2.

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