Big Zuu Goes to Mecca: Rapper and TV chef to perform a pilgrimage in Islam

But there’s a chance to see different side of him in his new one-off.

He explains: “Big Zuu Goes to Mecca is a documentary where I learn about my faith and perform a pilgrimage in Islam which is called Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan.”

The presenter, who was born in London, has Islam heritage through both his mum, who comes from Sierre Leone, and his Lebanese father, although they have different outlooks.

Zuu says: “My dad comes from a very religious background, whereas I’ve been raised with my mum being more spiritual, more into faith than religion – so I’ve kind of been raised with both spectrums.

“My mum always raised me to be God fearing, whereas my dad is more strict on what it means to be a good Muslim. They both really had an impact on where I’m at now – I think I have a little blend of both.”

The documentary gives him a chance to reflect on his own beliefs. He says: “It was at a time in my life where my relationship with my faith was very up and down. So I think exploring that was something I wanted to be able to do.

“You really see me change over the course of the documentary and that was a real-life change, I still carry that with me to this day.”

One of the changes might seem superficial, but Zuu admits it had a big impact on him. He says: “Cutting my hair was definitely the number one challenge in my mind. What it taught me was that vanity is such a real thing because I cared so much about my Ihram (the spiritual clothing worn on pilgrimage) and cutting my hair. Those are the two things I should care about the least.”

He adds: “I’m so used to focusing on my image and how I look. I’m a humble person, but I like to look nice. So in that moment I was thinking ‘Is my towel going to fall down?’, ‘Is my head going to look mad when I cut my hair?’

“All of these things were going through my mind and when I got there and those are the most minor things.”

And while the documentary may have been life-changing for Zuu, he’s thinks it could also prove inspiring to viewers. “I hope what people take away from the documentary is that there is no true form of what it is to be religious, it’s just about who you are and what you care about.

“From the outside looking in, you wouldn’t think I was a religious guy, but I performed one the most religious things you could do in Islam. You’re never too many steps away from being able to be good within your faith, you just have to have that intention.”