Traitors Star Harry Clark Sits Down With Pope Leo XIV and the Internet Cannot Handle It

Traitors Winner Harry Clark Meets Pope Leo XIV in Emotional BBC Documentary About Faith and Identity

Harry Clark, the 25 year old winner of BBC's The Traitors, secured a private audience with Pope Leo XIV during a deeply personal pilgrimage to Rome, documented in the new BBC One special Harry Clark Goes to Rome.

The documentary, which aired on Thursday April 2 at 10:40pm on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer, follows Clark and his mother Georgia as they travel to the Eternal City to explore his Catholic faith and what it means to be a modern believer.

The meeting with the Pope proved to be the emotional centrepiece of the programme. Clark recalled the moment they met:

"He shook my hand first and he just simply went to me, hey Harry, I heard you want to meet the Pope? Well, here I am." Harry Clark

During their conversation, Clark and the Pope discussed mental health, football, and the role of faith in everyday life. Clark presented Pope Leo XIV with a custom Chelsea Football Club home shirt, symbolising what he described as his three greatest priorities: "my faith, my family, but also Chelsea."

The Pope offered a powerful reflection on mental health during their exchange:

"People need to realise that whether you have God in your life or not, life is worth living." Pope Leo XIV

Clark, a former British Army soldier who served from age 16, has been open about struggling with serious mental health challenges, including the loss of friends, the end of a seven year relationship, and a brain bleed from an assault that ended his boxing career. He has spoken candidly about contemplating suicide and credits prayer with his recovery.

The meeting ended with an unexpected moment of humour. Clark recalled: "He stood up and he goes, hey, Harry, watch this." The Pope then pressed a button that swung open the doors to reveal his security detail, leaving both men laughing.

Clark also learned that Pope Leo XIV receives memes from his brother in Chicago, adding a surprisingly relatable dimension to the encounter.

BBC Star Harry Clark's Spiritual Journey to Rome and His Life Changing Meeting With the Pope

Since the meeting, Clark has described the experience as transformative. He now attends church every Sunday and says the documentary made him want to be a better person.

"I'm just a kid from a council house in Slough and here I am sitting opposite Pope Leo XIV." Harry Clark

The documentary traces a wider spiritual journey, exploring how faith sustained Clark through military service, personal setbacks, and his unexpected rise to fame on reality television. His mother Georgia's presence throughout the pilgrimage added an emotional depth, making the papal meeting especially meaningful for the family.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is exactly the kind of story the world needs more of. A young man from a council estate in Slough, a former soldier who nearly took his own life, walks into the Vatican and sits down with the leader of over a billion Catholics. And what do they talk about? Mental health, faith, and football. That is the power of Christ at work.

Harry Clark is not a theologian or a politician. He is a regular bloke who loves Chelsea and loves God. And that is precisely why this matters. The faith is not reserved for the seminary or the cathedral. It belongs in council houses in Slough just as much as it belongs in St. Peter's Square. Every young man struggling in silence should see this and know that the Church has a seat at the table for them.

Take Action

• Watch Harry Clark Goes to Rome on BBC iPlayer and share it with someone who might be struggling with their faith or mental health.
• If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, contact the Samaritans at 116 123 (UK) or visit www.samaritans.org.
• Support young people exploring their faith through CAFOD or your local parish youth ministry.
• Donate to www.TheShepherdsShield.org to support Christians facing challenges to their faith worldwide.
• Start a conversation with a young person in your life about faith. Ask them what they believe and why. Listen more than you speak.