BBC viewers were reduced to tears as University Challenge host Amol Rajan sobbed over a bereavement ‘too painful to think about’ in an emotional new documentary.
Amol Rajan Goes To The Ganges, released on BBC One last night, followed the journalist and broadcaster, 41, on a life-changing trip to his birth country of India.
The hour-long documentary came after the British-Indian presenter lost his father three years ago and struggled to come to terms with it.
So, despite being a non-believer, he decided to take a pilgrimage to an important Hindu festival in his birthplace to reconnect with his heritage and process his grief.
The Today programme host broke down ahead of his emotional journey, admitting: ‘I’ve avoided thinking about him because it’s too painful.’
His vulnerable confession resonated with viewers at home, who took to social media to say how much they related to his experience of grief.
BBC viewers were reduced to tears as University Challenge host Amol Rajan (pictured) sobbed over a bereavement ‘too painful to think about’ in an emotional new documentary
Amol Rajan Goes To The Ganges (pictured), released on BBC One last night, followed the journalist and broadcaster, 41, on a life-changing trip to his birth country of India
The hour-long documentary came after the British-Indian presenter lost his father (pictured) three years ago and struggled to come to terms with it
One wrote on X: ‘Eight minutes in, I am sobbing. I hope you find acceptance and healing. Lost my dad two years ago so feel your pain. Grief is a long road.’
Another added, during the broadcast: ‘May have already shed a tear.’
Someone else said: ‘Both my parents died over the last five years. Both were highly religious and I’m an atheist now. Getting quite teary myself with the parallels.
‘Your mum is lovely. Incredible experience you had.’
Amol did not take his emotional journey alone – his mother accompanied him and provided a steadying presence throughout its ups and downs.
He noticed on the trip his mother, a practising Hindu, ‘seemed to have an emotional toolkit that I lacked’.
Viewers were just as enamoured of her, writing on X: ‘Your mum is a force of nature and so lovely. Really enjoying the programme.’;
‘This is a wonderful programme, I love your sincerity and sensitivity – and your mum is a treasure!’;
So, despite being a non-believer, he decided to take a pilgrimage to an important Hindu festival in his birthplace to reconnect with his heritage and process his grief
The Today programme host broke down ahead of his emotional journey, admitting: ‘I’ve avoided thinking about him because it’s too painful’
Amol was touched by fans’ admiration of his mother
His vulnerability resonated with viewers at home, who took to social media to say how much they related to his experience of grief
‘Your mum is wonderful and loved her advice for you to enjoy and chill on your journey.’
Amol was touched by fans’ admiration of his mother, posting on X during the broadcast: ‘If you’re one of the thousands of people watching this on BBC One and thinking my mum is a legend, I confirm you are absolutely correct.’
To a suggestion she do the famous Thought For The Day segment on Radio 4’s Today programme, which he hosts, he replied: ‘My mum is the most extraordinary person. She’d be fantastic.’
He had also posted to X ahead of the broadcast: ‘This is on BBC iPlayer and BBC One at 9pm and I’d be genuinely honoured if you watched it. Thank you.’
The journalist also reposted a large amount of the kind viewer comments to his own page, clearly touched by the outpouring of support.
The programme primarily focussed on his pilgrimage to the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu religious festival.
Held every 12 years, this year’s event was set to be the largest gathering in human history, with Amol joining more than 500million pilgrims from across the globe.
It was also due to see a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of planets in the solar system, which last occurred 144 years ago.
Amol did not take his emotional journey alone – his mother (pictured) accompanied him and provided a steadying presence throughout its ups and downs
Viewers were just as enamoured of her on social media
Amol was touched by fans’ admiration of his mother, posting on X during the broadcast to echo viewers’ praise for her
He had also posted to X ahead of the broadcast: ‘This is on BBC iPlayer and BBC One at 9pm and I’d be genuinely honoured if you watched it. Thank you’
As the synopsis of the programme reads, the pilgrims’ goal is ‘to bathe in the sacred waters where the Ganges, Yamuna and mystical Saraswati meet, to purify their soals and gain salvation for themselves and their families’.
It continues: ‘By taking part in this ritual, it’s said Amol can release his father’s soul from the never-ending cycle of life and death.’
But not everything goes to plan in his journey to the Ganges river, due to circumstances beyond his control.
It sees Amol ‘assess whether to make it to the river at all, and if he can’t, what this will mean for his own journey through grief’.
It comes just after another new emotional documentary recently hit home for British viewers.
Netflix viewers ‘broke down in tears after just two minutes’ of watching Grenfell: Uncovered – and have insisted ‘it’s essential viewing’.
The documentary, which follows what unfolded as the tower of flats burned down on June 14, 2017, and the devastating aftermath, landed on the streamer last week.
In that time, many have already watched the one hour and 40 minutes programme, which has survivors and experts talking about what happened that day.
It comes just after another new emotional documentary, called Grenfell: Uncovered (pictured), recently hit home for British viewers
The documentary, which follows what unfolded as the tower of flats burned down on June 14, 2017 (pictured), and the devastating aftermath, landed on the streamer last week
In that time, many have already watched the one hour and 40 minutes programme (pictured, the trailer), which has survivors and experts talking about what happened that day
And they have rushed to X to praise it as ‘powerful’, with one writing: ‘To say I enjoyed it isn’t really correct but to dig into why it happened and how damning the evidence [is] makes it essential viewing.
‘I hope the victims and their loved ones get the justice they deserve.’
Another wrote: ‘I implore you all the watch the Grenfell: Uncovered documentary on Netflix. 72 deaths. eight years later. Still no justice.’
Someone else said: ‘Grenfell: Uncovered (Netflix) broke me. Every last bit of this was/is so easily avoidable. Every last bit.
‘I can’t tell if I’m more angry or heartbroken. How horrific.’
Amol Rajan Goes To The Ganges is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
