The accommodation – from basic caravans to simple climbers' huts – was far removed from Christine McGuinness's £6.5m Cheshire mansion.
Regardless though, when the former model was offered the chance to take part in Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales – a BBC show which would take her on a week-long spiritual journey, hiking some 140 miles across the Welsh countryside – she jumped at it.
Part of its appeal was that despite recently splitting from her TV presenter husband, Paddy, the pair still lived in the same house. The prospect of time away was tempting.
So off 37-year-old Christine went in her hiking boots with, friends say, 'absolutely no idea what to expect'.
The programme, which aired in February last year, saw seven celebrities of differing faiths and beliefs take an emotional journey, following a route linked by Welsh churches dedicated to early Celtic Christian saints.
Christine, a mother of three who describes herself as 'spiritual' rather than religious, expected to find solace in the natural beauty around her.
Spencer Matthews and fellow 'Pilgrims', including Christine, third from left
Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards in London
Spencer is happily married to Irish model and influencer Vogue
What she wasn't anticipating was to strike up a friendship with former Made In Chelsea heartthrob Spencer Matthews. Show sources tell me they quickly bonded when they met at the hotel where the journey began.
Endearingly, Spencer became her shoulder to cry on as she dealt with the end of her 12-year marriage.
Those on set say Spencer 'really enjoyed' being around Christine.
Happily married to Irish model and influencer Vogue Williams and six years sober, the 36-year-old was exactly the 'together' kind of friend who would help Christine as she rebuilt her life as a single woman. His tales of recovering from dark days of addiction surely helped her.
'You would never have put those two together,' a show insider says. 'But they got along instantly.
'Poor Christine had been through the mill. She had been with Paddy since she was so young. He was really all she knew in a man, so then to strike up this friendship with Spencer was just lovely. It was noticed by everyone on set that they got on especially well.
'It must have been so refreshing for her to have someone making her laugh, as they really got into the spiritual side of life.'
Christine recalled having a wonderful time filming Pilgrimage. 'I didn't [think I'd have such a good time], I'll be honest,' she said later. 'I spoke to a previous cast member. I rang them up and said: 'I've been asked to do this, I don't know – what do you think?'
'They weren't saying the experience was boring, they were just saying that, for me, as I'm used to being busy and with the kids and things like that, would I be OK with all the time in my own head?
'And I got there and there wasn't a moment really for me to be in my own head.'
On paper, Eton-educated Spencer and Christine are not obvious friends. Their backgrounds are poles apart, something noted by their co-stars, who included wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan.
The third son of landowner and entrepreneur David Matthews and wife Jane, Spencer's upbringing was highly privileged.
His childhood took in many glamorous locations – from his home, Caunton Manor, a 30-acre estate in Nottinghamshire, to regular holidays at his parents' hotel, Eden Rock, on the Caribbean island of St Barts. One of his older brothers, James, is married to the Princess of Wales' sister Pippa Middleton while the other, Michael, went missing while climbing Everest. His body was never found.
Christine, in contrast, was born in Blackpool to working-class parents and endured a desperately unhappy childhood. Her father was a heroin addict and she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a family member.
Yet so deep was Spencer and Christine's friendship it endured after filming ended. Soon after Pilgrimage was aired, Christine took part in Spencer's Big Fish podcast where she revealed some very intimate details about her sex life. Spencer asked his new friend how long she had been celibate.
She replied: 'I can't remember, it's quite depressing isn't it? It's just where I'm at in my life right now. I have three children, I'm a mum and I love being a mum, and I want to spend as much time with my children as possible.
'I'm also quite realistic about what I can and can't do and I don't want to put myself in a position where I'm spending time with someone and it may develop into a relationship and I'm not quite ready for that.'
A week earlier, the pair had appeared on BBC1's The One Show together – and they still follow each other on social media.
Meanwhile, there have been reports of difficulties in Spencer's marriage. Four months after his appearance on Pilgrimage, it was noted that Vogue, who arrived in Jordan for a photoshoot with the children on his completion of his epic 30 desert marathons in 30 days, left her husband straight after to return to her native Ireland to launch her skincare brand.
Spencer returned to London with their three children, Theodore, six, Gigi, four, and Otto, two, the day after his victory, where they enjoyed a pizza party with family and friends, minus Vogue.
Then, earlier this month, Spencer and Vogue, who was previously married to Westlife singer Brian McFadden, found their marriage under scrutiny again when she complained of being forced to do most of the domestic chores and parenting at home.
Appearing on the Netmums podcast, she discussed her family's routine, detailing how she and Spencer split their household tasks and childcare.
She candidly admitted: 'In the nicest way possible, I would say I fix the broken radiator and I do the school run.'
She went on to reveal just how much she carries the load at home, and confessed it had caused a 'tiff' with her and Spencer earlier in the day.
'I would say I do 80 per cent. We've actually been having a slight little tiff about that this morning, about the stuff that I do.'
She then broke into laughter, adding: 'I've had enough today!'
This week, the whispers seemed to have finally riled the couple.
On Wednesday, she took to Instagram to insist all is well in their relationship, writing: 'It's with great sadness that I have to let you know that Spen and I are NOT breaking up!'
'I usually avoid addressing baseless and cruel rumours but this just keeps coming up.'
The couple will hope that these rumours (and they are nothing more) will cease, not least because their lucrative brand is rooted in their image as a happily married couple with young children.
