Christianity and Celebrity Big Brother for Channel 4

A SERIES exploring alternative views on Christianity will spearhead Channel 4's winter season of programmes, it was announced today.

In what the cash-strapped broadcaster described as the most ambitious religious programming commission in its history, the series will feature eight hour-long documentaries.

The channel also confirmed the return of Celebrity Big Brother in January after it was "rested" last year following the race row involving Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

The documentaries will be presented by personalities including Michael Portillo, Ann Widdecombe, Rageh Omaar and Cherie Blair.

In the first programme author Howard Jacobson examines the nature of Jesus's Jewishness and Christianity's fraught relationship with its Jewish origins.

In other films in the series, Mr Portillo investigates Christianity during the time of the Roman Empire, theologian Dr Robert Beckford looks at the impact Christianity has had on Britain while Omaar fronts a documentary on Christianity's relations with Islam and the bloody legacy of the crusades.

Miss Widdecombe, who converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism, looks at the Reformation, while playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah explores how Christianity was exported "at the barrel of a gun" and leading scientist Professor Colin Blakemore examines how the scientific revolution undermined the centuries-long Biblical view of the world. For the final instalment, Mrs Blair looks at the challenges faced by Christianity in the 20th century and asks whether, as a world religion, it has a future.

Aaqil Ahmed, a Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: "This series is an ambitious and comprehensive exploration of key chapters in the history of Christianity. Authored by a range of distinctive voices, the series will examine the impact and legacy of Christianity on Britain and the world."

Channel 4 also announced a series of campaigning programmes fronted by Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Heston Blumenthal. Oliver will be trying to help the plight of the British pig, with Jamie Saves Our Bacon.

The chef will examine why Britain's pig farmers are going out of business and show how pork ends up on our plate.

Fearnley-Whittingstall will be trying to use his new position as a Tesco shareholder to his advantage by attempting to get the supermarket to embrace his free range chicken revolution.

Big Chef, Little Chef will see Blumenthal attempt to turn around the ailing roadside café chain and in Gordon's Great British Nightmare, Ramsay will be campaigning for Britons to frequent their local restaurants.