Tasha Ghouri has revealed how appearing on BBC series Pilgrimage reshaped her views on faith, admitting the experience moved her from atheism.
This year's series, titled Pilgrimage: The Road to Holy Island, sends Ms Ghouri and seven other celebrities of a number of different faiths and beliefs on a once-in-a-lifetime trek.
Together, the eight stars travel across picturesque landscapes in North-East England, along the way learning more about each other's faiths as they visit significant holy sites.
The celebs visit significant landmarks, including Whitby Abbey and the Unesco World Heritage site of Durham Cathedral, before arriving at their final stop: the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
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Tasha Ghouri does not come from a religious background
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The former Love Island star said she went into the series with “no expectations” but explained the journey with her fellow stars changed everything.
She said of her experience: “It’s one of those shows where you kind of have to go with an open mind… I went in just going for it, being really open-minded, taking the whole experience in.”
Ms Ghouri made clear she did not come from a religious background, adding: “I went in as an atheist, somebody that didn’t really believe in a religion or anything, so I really wanted to go in and learn from other people and their perspectives.”
Reflecting on the experience, she said: “I definitely came out believing in something more than I thought there was… I said, actually I do believe there is something out there, but I don’t know what it is.”
BBC Pilgrimage The Road to Holy Island cast
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She added: “I don’t know whether that’s God or that’s a spiritual thing. But it definitely made me open those gates a little bit to explore that.”
The reality star described the pilgrimage as a deeply personal journey, saying: “At that point last year, I kind of just needed an escape.
“It was two weeks of being outside in nature, connecting with people, having real conversations… going in just to be you. What that does is it creates such unique friendships that are so real.”
Ms Ghouri also highlighted the impact of her fellow pilgrims, particularly moments where she observed others practicing their faith.
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BBC Pilgrimage: Hasan Al Habib, Tasha Ghouri, and Ashley Banjo
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She pointed to an experience with fellow participant Hasan Al-Habib, recalling: “Being sat there in that prayer room with Hasan… it was such a raw moment.”
She added: “Seeing the synchronisation of how they prayed together… It’s quite unique and special. It definitely opened up a lot of conversations between Hasan and me.”
The moment also connected her to her own heritage. “My granddad was Pakistani and… Muslim but a very westernised Muslim,” she said.
Despite becoming more open to belief, Ms Ghouri admitted she still struggles with fundamental questions around faith.
Ashley Blaker and Tasha Ghouri on BBC Pilgrimage
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“That’s something that stops me from truly believing in God,” she said. “If there’s a God, why is there so much suffering? Why is there war? Why are people born with disabilities?”
She said these questions formed part of a candid discussion with Mr Al-Habib, who responded with understanding. “He said, ‘You know, Tasha, I can’t give you the answer to that. It’s something you have to find for yourself.'”
Ms Ghouri conceded: “It was a tough conversation, but I’m glad I was in such a comfortable space to be able to open up and voice that".
The star also opened up about the personal challenges she faced during filming. She was born completely deaf and uses a cochlear implant in her right ear, fitted at age five.
BBC Pilgrimage The Road to Holy Island cast
|BBC
The star explained: “I have to lip-read, and in group scenarios it’s quite difficult. When people were having conversations, I was really struggling to pick up on what was being said.”
Despite this, the influencer said she embraced the physical side of the journey.
“There was one day it was literally torrential rain… but we both just said, let’s just have a laugh with this,” she said of a moment with Diversity's Ashley Banjo.
Among the highlights of the trip, Ms Ghouri said Holy Island stood out as “truly magic."
Tasha Ghouri made history as the first-ever contestant on Strictly Come Dancing to wear a cochlear implant | GETTY“It was just something that you see when you have this image of heaven,” she said.
By the end of the pilgrimage, the reality star said her mindset had shifted significantly.
She said: "Coming away from this Pilgrimage, it just made me so much more open-minded to everything. Before going in, I was more of an atheist, and I came out more agnostic.”
She added that she now wants to continue exploring faith and spirituality, saying: “I really, really do believe there’s something there. It’s just a question of what it is.”