'I've been fasting on a daily basis!' Spencer Matthews reveals Pilgrimage changed the way he eats

Spencer Matthews has changed the way he eats since filming 'Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales', after he learnt about fasting on the show.

The former 'Made in Chelsea' star starred alongside former model Christine McGuinness, actor Tom Rosenthal, wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan, and journalist Sonali Shah, among others, as they embarked on a personal journey on the BBC programme along a route that celebrates Celtic early Christian saints.

Spencer has told how he learnt a lot about fasting from Sonali, and he now fasts on a daily basis.

He said: "I have some lasting friendships from doing the show. I learned about fasting through Sonali Shah.

"I did a 24-hour fast whilst filming, to show solidarity for Jainism, which is an ancient religion.

"I began to learn a lot about fasting and that led me to read books about fasting and breathing and that got me on to Wim Hof and James Nestor and I've suddenly found myself reading books about spirituality.

"I really feel like I broadened my mind an awful lot on that pilgrimage, and I still fast.

"I have been fasting ever since the last week of the pilgrimage on a daily basis. So, I've taken that with me."

Asked if there were any particular instances or experiences during the pilgrimage that triggered any kind of change, he replied: "I'd go back to the fast, that has changed the way I eat since filming."

Spencer admitted the pilgrimage - which ended at Bardsey Island, the fabled "Island of 20,000 saints", just off the western tip of the Llyn Peninsula - has made him feel "happier to be alive".

He added: "The whole experience made me feel even happier to be alive, if you know what I mean.

"I'm very conscious of health and wellness now - although I kind of have been for a while - but I'm particularly conscious of certain things."

'Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales' airs Fridays at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 29 March 2024.

Catch all three episodes on BBC iPlayer from Friday 29 March.