Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip: Mel B, Emily Atack and Ruby Wax to retrace steps of female Victorian explorer from Yorkshire in new show

Three-part docuseries Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip, airing on BBC Two from Monday (Nov 28), sees the trio embark on an epic adventure to pay homage to Isabella Bird, whose exploits have largely been lost to history.

“Isabella is my heroine,” says 69-year-old Wax. “We were (on a journey) seeing what a woman could do more than 100 years ago, wearing nothing, sleeping in the snow and being so brave.

“To me, she’s the beginning of the whole feminist thing, and yet we never hear about her,” the American comedian quips with passion. “I was thrilled to do it with Emily and Mel; I knew that we were going to click, but it was really important to follow the trail of this woman, otherwise, what’s it about?”

At a time when most explorers were men, Boroughbridge-born Bird was certainly a trailblazer. Being prescribed ‘mountain air’ to cure her malaise, in 1873 she set off on her travels across the globe to find exactly that.

Travelling alone in what was a restrictive era for women, she crossed the lawless American Wild West during the Gold Rush era, riding a staggering 800 miles on horseback through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She befriended outlaws, climbed mountains and even faced grizzly bears.

“These are like the unsung, forgotten heroes,” muses Leeds-born Brown, 47. “And I’ve never heard of her. It’s not in our history books. Why are all these women not being praised and celebrated?”

They soon will. And who better to emulate this iconic journey than three modern-day trailblazing women forging their way in their respective careers? From horseback riding and mountain climbing to learning to lasso and communicating with wolves, it’s an unforgettable voyage in pursuit of a forgotten pioneer.

But is there a particular standout moment?

“Each thing we did, I thought, ‘Surely it can’t get more dangerous’ and each time it became harder,” Atack recalls. “We started with the horses in the mountains and then we had to practice mountain climbing before we climbed Pikes Peak at the end.

“We were three girls from three different walks of life, coming together, helping each other figure stuff out, having an absolute blast doing it and making good TV that is actually informational,” says Brown.

As for what she learned, “that I’m actually the sane one amongst those two…” quips the Spice Girl. “And how open I am for challenges and really (enjoy) putting myself out of my own head and into somebody else’s shoes. But it made me think how much I really do love my own company – and I think Isabella must have loved her own company to be able to do what she did, with no steady companion by her side.”

Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip starts on BBC Two on Monday, November 28.