Celebrity Big Brother icon reveals trick shared with co-star to stay 'sane' in house

She’s best known as one of the original queens of British comedy, lighting up our screens in iconic shows such as , French And Saunders and Bottom, but is no one-trick pony. The sharp-witted star has never been afraid to throw herself into new experiences.

And now, at 70, as, she’s swapping the spotlight for snow-capped peaks in Two’s new series Pilgrimage: The Road Through The Alps. In the show, we’ll see her trekking across the Austrian and Swiss Alps with nothing but a backpack and her faith. But don’t worry – the Helen we all love is still very much there, Sauvignon Blanc jokes and all.

READ MORE:

“I looked back at the photos from the show recently and honestly, it hit me how intense it all was,” Helen tells us, flicking through memories on her camera. “You go through something with people you barely know, and suddenly you’re bonded for life. It was beautiful – and exhausting!”

The three-part BBC series, airing over Easter, follows seven celebrities from different backgrounds and beliefs as they take on a gruelling 300km trek across a medieval pilgrimage route. Alongside Helen, viewers will see The Wanted singer Jay McGuiness, winner Harry Clark, comedian Daliso Chaponda, TV presenter , Paralympian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat open up about faith, identity, and the paths that have brought them to this moment.

For Helen, who has a rich and mixed heritage, with a Protestant mother and a culturally Jewish father, this spiritual and physical journey was a chance to reconnect with parts of herself she had never fully explored. “It’s not something I usually talk about, I was very close to my father,” she says thoughtfully and almost teary.

“I’ve always carried my mixed background with me, but never quite knew what to do with it. This experience helped me embrace that heritage instead of trying to compartmentalise it. There’s a scene in the show where I connect with someone else who has a similarly complex identity. It was emotional, and totally unexpected.”

Helen’s time on Celebrity in 2017 was a away from her recent soul-searching journey on Pilgrimage. Reflecting on the contrast and the new cohorts in the new series of CBB which is currently airing, she says, “I mean, your personality will be outed, sooner or later, and people are set against each other because of the nature of the game – unlike the pilgrimage, which was a pure experience. The other one is a game.”

Known for her offbeat humour and self-deprecating charm, Helen brought, but admits the tension and pressure to perform made it a far cry from the genuine connections she formed in the Alps. “I still speak to Shaun Williamson from our time on the show. I met up with him a couple of times. We used to go around the fake grass asking each other quiz questions to try and remain sane, that’s how we passed the time.”

Luckily for Helen, though she worried about returning to reality TV, her experience with Pilgrimage was a breath of fresh air. “It wasn’t like Big Brother, thank goodness,” she laughs. “I thought, ‘If this turns out to be the same, I’m out!’ But it wasn’t. This wasn’t a competition, no one won – it was a shared journey. We just wanted to experience how you felt at the beginning and the end and have these kinds of open conversations you wouldn’t normally have.”

Still very much a comedian at heart, Helen insists it is humour that has carried her through life’s most serious moments. “I recently added new chapters to my paperback Not That I’m Bitter,” she says, referring to her memoir which now includes reflections from Pilgrimage and the heartbreaking yet oddly humorous

“He would’ve found the whole thing hilarious,” she says fondly. It’s your attitude to life that keeps you uplifted and buoyant and the bad stuff can’t get you. I’m in a better place than when I began.” It’s clear Pilgrimage gave Helen more than just sore calves. The show became a way of rediscovering her sense of self – and of making a few unlikely pals along the way.

“ and I just clicked,” she grins. “We’d end up laughing at nothing. And Harry – what a joy. There was such a warmth in the group. Despite the age differences, there was a beautiful energy between us.” And the revelations kept coming. “I realised I sit too much!” she laughs. “I need to move more. But seriously, I learnt so much about patience, tolerance, and how different people experience the world. I came back with a bigger heart, I think.”

Although the TV veteran has dipped her toes in everything from soaps to stand-up, she has no intention of slowing down any time soon. “I’ve got something coming up in the West End,” she teases. “Can’t say much now, but I’m buzzing. I still want to play, still want to connect with people. “That’s what Pilgrimage reminded me – connection is everything.”

Now more than ever, Helen’s embracing the unpredictable, messy joy of life. “I used to be more stand-offish,” she admits. “But now, I’m fully engaged. I do festivals, I talk to readers, I perform with more heart.” As for what’s next? “Who knows!” she shrugs. “I’m open to it all, so long as there’s a decent glass of wine at the end of it.”

* Follow Mirror Celebs on,,,, and.

The paperback version of Helen’s memoir, Not That I’m Bitter, is out now. Pilgrimage: The Road Through The Alps airs Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Tuesday 22 April, 9pm, BBC Two.