Destination X cast: Confirmed line-up of contestants

It is through a series of challenges and carefully laid out clues that'll help the contestants guess where they might be, but they ought to be careful as some red herrings have been left out to catch them out.

At the end of each episode, the players must guess where they are, with the contestants guessing the furthest away getting the boot.

But who are the players taking part? Read on to learn more about the cast of Destination X.

Destination X cast

• Ashvin
• Ben
• Chloe-Anne
• Claire
• Darren
• Dawn
• Deborah
• James
• Josh
• Judith
• Mahdi
• Nick
• Saskia

Ashvin

Age: 23

Job: Economics graduate

Location: London

Economics grad Ashvin has been in the gym cardio training for Destination X, but ultimately believes it'll be luck that could see him win the programme.

"I don't like losing," he said of his competitive streak. "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."

Ben

Age: 42

Job: Surf school director

Location: South Wales

Similarly to some of the other contestants, Ben has been trying to "maintain a level of fitness", all while ensuring he isn't pushing himself too hard.

However, when it comes to preparing for the show mentally, Ben has taken quite the drastic approach, explained: "I've been treating it as if I was going to prison. 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."

Chloe-Anne

Age: 27

Job: Historian

Location: Oxford

One of Chloe-Anne's main reasons for applying for Destination X because of her grandmother who passed away and was a huge influence on her.

"We were always doing puzzle books and she encouraged me to keep learning new things," she said. "She'd absolutely love this show and so I feel like this opportunity is a sign from the universe."

Beyond that, she also wanted to try and tackle her anxiety, something she suffered from when growing up and still has now.

Claire

Age: 51

Job: Retired detective sergeant

Location: West Sussex

Now retired and with no dependents, Claire is ready to take on Destination X, and having been in the police force for over two decades, she reckons she has the right skills for the game.

She said: "I was in the police for 26 years. That required things like investigative knowledge, finding clues and looking outside the box which was a good thing. But it might let me down - if I'm so focused on outside the box, I might miss something that's inside the box."

Daren

Age: 58

Job: Taxi driver

Location: London

Daren isn't your average taxi driver, as he describes he it he has done "some pretty severe challenges" which he hopes makes him a tad more interesting.

"In 2019 I lost five stone, and since then I encourage people with mundane jobs to do incredible things," he explained. "I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru with two other cabbies. After that, my next challenge was rowing across the Atlantic with no nautical experience."

Dawn

Age: 33

Job: Care assistant

Location: Derry

In preparation for Destination X, 33-year-old care assistant Dawn invested in a child's Atlas, which she read. Beyond that, she tried learning some countries and their capitals, but she plans on relying on the other contestants to tell her where they have ended up.

However Dawn does have some tricks up her sleeve, admitting that she does have "a bit of a sneaky side".

"I'm a nice wee mommy from Derry and a lovely person but I do have a slight sneaky side too," she said. "I'm keeping that to myself on the bus so I can pull it out when I need to."

Deborah

Age: 62

Job: Crime writer

Location: Lytham

Deborah has worked in IT for nearly 40 years and is an aspiring writer who believes it'll be a combination of things that could help her win the show.

"If you get beyond the first stop, and can survive the basic surroundings that will help," she said. "It will get more and more difficult so you need to have your wits about you. If you can do those things and keep your sense of humour, you're probably in with a good chance."

James

Age: 23

Job: E-commerce manager

Location: Manchester

E-commerce manager James believes there are two ways to win a show like Destination X: Either be really good at geography or not be that good at all.

He explained: "At it's core, if you know people and how they behave then you know how they react and can anticipate their moves."

Josh

Age: 26

Job: Pilot

Location: Dartford

Josh is planning to do whatever it takes to win Destination X and in turn, the £100,000 cash prize.

Asked how he'd spend the winnings, Josh said: "I'd probably spend the money on training to fly another aircraft, like commercial flying. And then I’d also pay my mum and dad back for the money they forked out for flight school. And maybe a nice holiday for the family as well, for the sacrifices they've made for me."

Judith

Age: 27

Job: Nuclear engineer

Location: Bristol

Judith is in it to win it, and is hoping that the other players won't see her as competitive as she is, but she has a feeling it will eventually "leak out" when it comes to challenges.

Mahdi

Age: 22

Job: Content creator

Location: London

Mahdi is a content creator from London, something he cites as giving him the right skills for the game.

"I'm very aware of my surroundings which could be an advantage for me in this process," Mahdi said. "I'm very cautious and I think about what I'm about to do next."

Nick

Age: 35

Job: Endurance athlete

Location: Cornwall

Nick is an endurance athlete who had ran a marathon in every country in the world, but admittedly he doesn't know "anything about any of the countries".

But Nick does have an understanding of geography and is ready for any challenge thrown his way, which may prove handy in Destination X.

He continued: "I have a caring personality to the point that I can be supportive yet also competitive. If people need a shoulder to cry on I could be there, but also I will stab them in the back when it gets to the end of the show."

Saskia

Age: 25

Job: Marketing executive

Location: Birmingham

A self-described 'determined, dedicated and devoted' person, Saskia plans to just be herself which she hopes will help her sail through the competition.

"I'm a team player. I believe in playing fair, in equality, that there’s strength and power in numbers," she explained. "But we'll have to see. I just want to make sure I play a fair game."

Destination X begins on Wednesday 30th July at 9pm on BBC One.

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