Comedian Eshaan Akbar is among the famous faces taking part in this year’s BBC series of Pilgrimage, which is in its sixth series.
However, while he and six other celebrities pushed their limits mentally and physically to take part in the breathtaking Welsh walk, Akbar admitted one of the most iconic moments of the experience left him feeling “nothing”.
Speaking to GB News and other publications, the 39-year-old reflected on his time filming the show.
However, at one point he admitted: “I don’t fall for advertising in the same way as everyone else.
“I climbed Snowden and felt nothing. Everyone was like, ‘Oh if you climb Snowden you’ll feel emotional, it’s life-changing,’ I felt nothing.”
Co-star and Escape to the Country presenter Sonali Shah jokingly responded: “That makes me feel like I want to fix you, I feel like something’s wrong with you!”
Akbar took part in this year’s series of BBC’s Pilgrimage
BBC
Akbar continued: “I saw the train that goes up and thought ‘I wish we’d taken the bl***y train.”
He swiftly added: “But it’s a walking show so that would defeat the purpose.”
Despite not being moved by the sights, Akbar did find himself very emotional at some points during the show.
Some of the other views caused him to contemplate his own insignificance against nature that has been there for centuries before him and will continue to be there long after he has gone.
The celebrities took on a pilgrimage through North Wales
BBC
Akbar and Shah were joined in the experience by Michaela Strachan, Spencer Matthews, Christine McGuinness, Tom Rosenthal and Amanda Lovett.
McGuinness also talked about her experience on the show, reflecting on her autism and why the condition made it difficult for her to be around others and maintain friendships.
“We had to be together and for me that’s what, you know, I’m okay with getting on with people, but continuing a friendship for me is what I struggle with.
“Just listening to everybody else’s stories and seeing how this lot seem to just live life… they seem to just grab opportunities with both hands, which I do not do,” she revealed.
Akbar was joined by a group of famous faces for the pilgrimage
BBC
She added: “It just made me feel like, ‘this life is actually quite amazing’.”
Touching on maintaining close friendships and her past struggles, she admitted: “You’ve got to open the door, you’ve got to pick up the phone, you’ve got to keep in touch with people if you are friends.”
At one point, Akbar cooked a meal for the group. Reflecting on this, McGuinness recalled: “It was so intense, the time we spent together. I’ve never done that before. This is the first time I’d ever eaten with a group of people I didn’t know.”
