Broadcaster, author, and Humanists UK President Janet Ellis MBE will be in the upcoming season of BBC Two’s Pilgrimage on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from spring 2027.
Janet Ellis is a familiar face to many as a former Blue Peter presenter. On the show she’ll walk an ancient pilgrim route with six other famous faces representing different religious and non-religious beliefs. Along the way, Janet will share her humanist approach to life as the group discuss different personal, ethical, and existential questions.
Humanism is a non-religious approach to life, based on reason and humanity. Millions of people in the UK share humanist beliefs and values, even if they don’t use the word ‘humanist’ to describe themselves.
What is Pilgrimage?
Pilgrimage is a BBC series made by CTVC. Each series follows a group of well-known people with different beliefs as they walk a historic pilgrim route together. Along the way they have conversations with each other about life’s biggest questions: what they believe, why they believe it, and what gives their lives meaning.
Humanists UK patron Ed Byrne starred in the original BBC Two three-part travelogue series Pilgrimage: The Road to Santiago in 2018, which averaged roughly 1.9 million views per episode. In that season, he was joined by agnostic reporter Raphael Rowe and humanist actor Neil Morrissey. After the show, Morrissey described the experience as ‘compound[ing] my own humanism and atheism. But… the thing I enjoyed the most was the commonality of the experience while on the walk itself. The shared community feeling with everyone you meet, wherever you go – in any hostel or restaurant. ’
Non-religious ‘pilgrims’ on the show in subsequent seasons have included comedians Les Dennis, Stephen K. Amos, Dom Joly, and Tom Rosenthal, model Christine McGuinness, broadcasters Michaela Strachan and Nick Hewer, reality TV stars Tasha Gouri and Vicky Pattison, and Jay McGuiness from The Wanted, among others.
Who is in Pilgrimage?
The cast of Pilgrimage brings together religious and non-religious people to discuss spiritual and existential questions.
Janet is not the only non-religious person appearing on the show. Appearing alongside her will be:
- Author and musical comedian Jay Foreman, a humanist who has previously performed at a number of Humanists UK annual conferences and festivals
- Comedian and former SNP MSP Mhairi Black, a former Catholic
- Comedian and artist Leigh Francis
Religious participants on the 2027 series will include:
- TV personality Ferne McCann, who is a Christian
- comedian and content creator Shabaz Ali, who is a Muslim
- actor Nina Wadia, a Zoroastrian
Explaining why she wanted to take part, Janet said:
‘I’d like to step outside of my busy life and have time to bring myself into focus. I want to explore the whole of the pilgrim path rather than keep my world comfortably small.’
Find out more about what humanism is.
Why is a humanist taking part in Pilgrimage?
Being curious about the world, and about other people, is central to the humanist approach to life. Humanists value open, honest conversation with people whose beliefs differ from their own. They listen, ask questions, and look for common ground.
That’s what makes Pilgrimage such a good fit for Janet Ellis. Walking side by side with people who see the world differently is a chance to understand them better and to think again about your own beliefs. Humanism is non-religious, but it isn’t anti-religious.
Who is Janet Ellis?
Janet began her career as an actor before presenting Jigsaw and then Blue Peter from 1983 to 1987. She has since worked across television, radio, and theatre. Her novels include The Butcher’s Hook (2016) and How It Was (2019), and she hosts the podcast Twice Upon a Time. She was made an MBE in 2016.
Janet became a Humanists UK patron in 2014 and has been its President since January 2026. She has said:
‘Humanism is important for me because it puts a name to the beliefs and values that so many non-religious people like me already have.’
Janet is also the resident advice columnist for New Humanist, the long-running quarterly magazine of arts, science, and culture.