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30 Jul, 2025
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Meet the 13 contestants of BBC's Destination X including a pilot and record-holder
@Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The BBC's brand new gameshow is set to arrive on screens, featuring 13 contestants competing for a £100,000 prize . Presented by Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon , Destination X whisks participants away on an extraordinary European adventure. Blending elements of The Traitors with Race Across The World , contestants are whisked across the continent without knowing their whereabouts or destinations whilst navigating through clues, deception and falsehoods. Daily journeys involve travelling on a coach with complete sensory isolation and zero external communication, as they attempt to determine their possible location using a collection of peculiar hints provided to them. Only the most astute participants will successfully distinguish misleading information from genuine clues, with players gradually eliminated until one winner claims the £100,000 jackpot by accurately guessing locations - those furthest from the actual destination face removal from the competition, reports Wales Online . Here's everything you need to know about the 13 players taking part.... Age - 23 Occupation – Economics Graduate Location - London Ashvin isn’t a fan of losing, and although he thinks luck plays a big part in winning the show, he’s hoping to bring strategy and tactics, without “overdoing it because that results in paranoia”. “When I was young, I was a sore loser, but I’ve found ways to be graceful about it. In a competition like this there's more at stake though and it's important for the gameplay to want to win,” he said. Age - 42 Occupation – Surf School Director Location – South Wales As a surfer, Ben is used to dealing with “lots of situations very quickly”, and has been preparing for the competition by “treating it as if I was going to prison”. He said: “I'll be cut off from everybody and have got to deal with new people and environments that might be testing and challenging. It'd be nicer to think I'm going to space as an astronaut.” Age - 27 Occupation - Historian Location - Oxford Chloe-Anne saw the application for Destination X as a “sign from the universe” after playing puzzle books with her late grandmother, who had a huge influence on her. “I have a variety of different skills. I’m not amazing at any of them, but I’ve got an interesting combination. I’m hoping that some of them might prove to be useful,” she said. Age - 51 Occupation - Retired Detective Sergeant Location – West Sussex Claire thinks her skills from being in the police for 26 years will help her with the game, and revealed how far she’d go to win the prize money. “I'm a nice person, I'm not horrible to anybody but it's the name of the game, isn't it? So if I've got to double cross somebody to get what I want or to get myself further along I will. It might feel a bit uncomfortable, but they're going to be doing it to me. “I don't really care about the money. It might pay my mortgage off but life's for living, isn't it?” Age - 58 Occupation – London taxi driver Location – London Daren says he’ll “never back down from a challenge”, and is planning on showing a new side to him. The taxi driver, who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean with no nautical or rowing experience, said: “People might think that I’m just a typical London taxi driver who likes eating pie and mash and drinking beer. Well, I am that, but it doesn't mean there aren’t a few more layers to me.” Age - 33 Occupation - Care Assistant Location - Derry Aside from reading a children’s Atlas and learning some basic countries and capitals, Dawn is hoping her teammates will help her get through. “I'm a people person and I'm bubbly and chatty. Those skills are definitely going to help me because my geography is not. If I can befriend people and get to know them, then hopefully they'll point me in the right direction,” she said. Age - 62 Occupation – Crime Writer Location - Lytham Deborah thinks she may be “underestimated” but her “tenacity and determination” will surprise her competitors. “I like a laugh and I've always used my humour to get out of a lot of trouble so they’ll probably think I’m a bit ditzy, a bit of an airhead. That's fine, I'll play into that. It might get me another couple of stops further on,” she said. Deborah is no stranger to adventures, having ended up in a black run while skiing and once being swept away while scuba diving. “I just decided this is not my day to die and started to sing a hymn.” “I should have just stuck with the golf,” she laughed. Age - 23 Occupation – E-commerce Manager Location - Manchester James is willing to “backstab and betray” to win the £100,000, saying: “People will think I’m not taking it seriously, because I'm going to go in and have a laugh but I'm also there to make money.” He added: “Being on this show for a start is scary, but exciting. I’m sure the activities will be scary and exciting and will push me out of my comfort zone. I've always said that I might scream and shout my way down, but I'll do it.” Age - 26 Occupation - Pilot Location - Dartford Josh is another contestant willing to do “whatever it takes to win the money”. Speaking ahead of the experience, he said: “Not really knowing where I'll be is the most scary thing. I’ve always known exactly where I am, especially with being a pilot. “I've actually trained my body to be orientated, so to be disorientated will be quite a weird feeling. “I'm looking forward to the adventure. I love traveling and even if I don't win, I'll still have a great experience.” Age - 28 Occupation - Nuclear Engineer Location - Bristol “I have a very competitive nature and I'm also super talkative,” Judith revealed. She thinks she may come across as “a bit ditzy” but is actually quite smart, adding: “Because I talk a lot, I give off a blase, nonchalant attitude so they won’t see me as being as competitive as I am. But I have a feeling that will leak out if we're doing a challenge and it's not going right.” Age - 22 Occupation - Content creator Location - London “I have this mentality where, if I like the sound of something, I do anything I can to achieve it or be a part of it,” Mahdi shared. “The way I prepare myself is just by being me. Being yourself is the best thing anyone can do.” Age - 35 Occupation - Endurance Athlete Location - Cornwall Nick has run a marathon in every country in the world, but admitted he still doesn’t know anything about any of the countries. “I spent all my money, left my job and made running a career,” he said, of his 674-day adventure. Being the first person in the world to do so, Nick holds 11 world records and 4 world firsts, but is ready to take on this new challenge. He said: “I'm most excited about experiencing everything. It's the ultimate game. I can go and do my own challenges, but I can't do this. I can’t compete with other people in this way.” Age - 25 Occupation - Marketing Executive Location - Birmingham “I'm very determined and a very dedicated, devoted person. I don't like to quit so regardless of what it is I'll give 100%. Hopefully that will help me through the game,” Saskia said. The self-confessed “smart cookie” is ready to form alliances and be a team player, but admitted she’s “very competitive”. Destination X will air on BBC One and iPlayer, beginning on Wednesday, July 30 at 9pm, with two episodes dropping each week.
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