Posted in: NBC, Preview, TV | Tagged: Destination X, jeffrey dean morgan

Destination X: NBC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan-Hosted Series Starts Tonight!

With the first round kicking off tonight, here's your viewing guide to NBC's Jeffrey Dean Morgan-hosted competition series Destination X.

Tonight, NBC and host/executive producer Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("The Walking Dead" Universe, The Boys, Supernatural) are hoping that a whole lot of viewers grab their passports and join them for Destination X. In this new take on the travel competition series, Europe is turned into a real-life gameboard as complete strangers take part in the trip of a lifetime and the ultimate geo-guessing contest. Set to get underway at 10 pm ET/PT (following the season premiere of America's Got Talent), we've got an overview and image gallery for S01E01: "Welcome to Destination X." In addition, we have profiles of our contestants, a rundown of how the game is played, and much more. Along the way, we have a sneak peek or two waiting for you…

Destination X Season 1 Episode 1: "Welcome to Destination X"

Destination X Season 1 Episode 1: "Welcome to Destination X" – Ten strangers board a blacked-out bus and embark on the journey of a lifetime; with no idea where they are, they compete in challenges, earn clues and try to locate Destination X on a map; the person who guesses furthest away is sent home.

Here's a Look at Your Competitors!

Biggy Bailey (Chattanooga, TN): Biggy is a sports bettor and content creator from Chattanooga, Tenn., going all in on the
competition. A walking sports encyclopedia, he excels at calculating risk and crunching numbers. Biggy previously worked as a sales manager, which taught him the skill of persuasion and convincing others to follow his lead. He's seen much of the United States, but internationally has only been to Mexico. Although history and geography are not his strongest suits, he plans to use his outgoing and loveable personality to strategically connect with his competitors and do whatever it takes to win the game.

Ally Bross (Orlando, FL): Ally Bross grew up in Orlando, Florida, and earned degrees in political science and religion, but
is now a full-time travel influencer based in Austin, Texas. Fueled by her desire to be a student of the world, Ally spent an entire year visiting 32 countries across all seven continents. After travelling extensively, she's confident in her ability to recognize cultural landmarks and geographical clues. Ally has a strong knowledge of pop culture and world history and is also an avid gamer, chess player, and strategic thinker. As a hopeless romantic, she not only hopes to win the grand prize but also to win the heart of a fellow traveler along the way.

Kim Conner (Kaneohe, HI): Hailing from Kaneohe, Hawaii, Kim is a single mom of three and grandmother of four who
has spent her career in social work, currently working as a Child Protective Services Investigator. Her ability to see through lies is a skill she plans to use to her advantage. After 20 years of dedicating her life to raising her kids, Kim, now an empty nester, gets to live the life she has always dreamed of and seeks to embrace every adventure to the fullest, from attending Coachella to solo international trips. Even though she may seem gentle and soft, Kim is a spitfire with a surprisingly competitive edge who will do anything to win, even if it means deceiving people to get ahead.

Shayne Cureton (Indianapolis, IN): Born and raised in Indianapolis, Ind., Shayne Cureton is a model with a playful and flirty
side. Growing up, Shayne moved around a lot and learned early on the importance of charisma to make friends wherever he goes. His career has taken him all over the globe to places such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Sweden, Hong Kong, and Australia. He prides himself on his worldly knowledge and geographical expertise. With his charm, he knows that the social elements of this game will come easily. A lover of travel, people, and experiences, Shayne is ready to embark on the "Destination X" bus and find his next adventure and potentially even a love interest.

Jonah Evarts (Manhattan, KS): Raised in a military family, Jonah bounced around before his family settled down in Manhattan, Kan. As a child, he excelled in academics, especially history and English. Jonah taught English in Vietnam and spent his off time traversing around Asia, visiting Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Korea. Jonah is a fantasy book fanatic, avid reader, and has written six books. With a gentle demeanor and commitment to honesty, Jonah's strategy is to lean into his logic and knowledge to get ahead, and he hopes he doesn't need to stab anyone in the back.

Mack Fitzgerald (Austin, TX): As an attorney from Austin, Texas for the state legislature, Mack claims she knows how to navigate fake friendships, power, and strategy from her experience working with politicians. At first glance, people may see an easygoing personality and nomadic spirit, but there's more to Mack than competitors might see. She graduated college at 20 years old, earned her doctorate at 24 and was in the top 17% of her law school class. Mack wants to see and experience as much of the world as she can in her lifetime and has visited more than 50 countries and almost every U.S. state. Well-educated and incredibly persuasive, her whip-smart knowledge in math, science and geography can be used to her advantage to win Destination X.

Tai Lowry (Prince George's County, MD): Hailing from Prince George's County, MD, Tai traded her full-time career as an attorney to become a flight attendant because of her love for travel. Recently divorced, Tai is going through a major life change. She's ready for a new chapter, and a trip through Europe is at the top of her bucket list. Tai is an adrenaline junkie who has bungee jumped, river rafted and skydived her way around the world. Nicknamed by her friends Travel Tai, she has been to Egypt, Kenya, Japan, Cuba, Guatemala, Thailand, Zanzibar, and beyond. Whether persuading a jury or being an extremely personable flight attendant, Tai knows how to get people to trust her and can convince anyone of anything. She's strategic, competitive, and willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Josh Martinez (Miami, FL): No stranger to gameplay, Josh Martinez was the first Latino and Cuban winner of "Big Brother" and is a repeated competitor on "The Challenge." Through his experience on reality TV, Josh has traveled extensively through South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, which he knows exceedingly well. Admittedly, Josh is a polarizing person with his big
personality and confrontational style, but he's an expert in gameplay and knows the value of a strong alliance to advance and win. With a target on his back as a previous competition winner, he's ready to use his well-traveled resume to showcase a different side of himself.

Rachel Rossette (Jackson, MS): A sophisticated southern belle with an extravagant style, Rachel is a prime example of not
judging a book by its cover. With a nearly perfect SAT score and a degree in history, she has an extensive knowledge of world geography and an obsession with pop culture. Married after a whirlwind romance, Rachel and her husband split their time between Brazil and Orlando, Florida. Rachel has visited almost every U.S. state and has traveled internationally to Paris, London, Australia, Mexico, and more. Working in sales, she knows how to read a room and charm anyone. Rachel's strategy is to downplay her intelligence and athletic abilities until it's time to compete. Her dream is to have a big family, so winning would help her and
her husband afford expensive IVF treatments.

Rick Szabo (Picton, Ontario, Canada): Rick Szabo is an international bird watcher with a penchant for traveling, having visited 49 countries and counting. Originally from Seattle, Rick worked in finance after college and was offered the opportunity to live in Africa, which shaped him into the curious traveler he is today. Now based in Picton, Ontario, Canada, Rick birdwatches professionally and plans to use his birding and travel knowledge to guide him to victory. Rick has been married for 25 years and has three adult children and two daughters-in-law. His competitors may underestimate him because of his lovable dad persona, but he plans to use his kindness to find allies and win the grand prize for his family.

How "Destination X" Works…

• These adventurous players will traverse each country on a blacked-out "Destination X" bus with the goal of figuring out where the "X" they are each week.
• In each episode, the players disembark the bus to visit unique and unfamiliar tourist attractions that have been gamified into experiential challenges.
• They will need to rely on their knowledge of pop culture, history, geography, and observational skills to win clues to their current location and earn an all-important advantage.
• Contestants must tap into their own expertise, identify hidden clues disguised as artifacts, and discern competitors' intentional misdirects to ultimately determine their whereabouts.
• Gamemaster Jeffrey Dean Morgan has a few tricks up his sleeve, from mind games and pivotal ultimatums to introducing two familiar faces – JaNa Craig (Love Island) and Peter Weber (The Bachelor, The Traitors), who hop on the adventure bus and change the trajectory of the game.

• At the end of each episode, designated contestants must enter the Map Room and place their X on the map to indicate where in the world they think they are. The furthest from the actual location is sent packing.
• The final player standing at the end of the tour will find Jeffrey at the ultimate Destination X and win $250,000.

The NBC series is based on the Belgian format created by Geronimo and distributed globally by Be-Entertainment. "Destination X" is one of the fastest-selling unscripted formats and has won several awards, including a Rose d'Or for Best Competition Reality, as well as Best Competition Reality Format and Best Multi-Platform Format by C21. The series launched in Belgium in 2023 on commercial broadcaster VTM and consistently won the Monday evening timeslot with an impressive 42% market share over the first eight episodes (18-44, Consolidated). The series marks the second commission between NBCU and the BBC following the global phenomenon of  The Traitors.

NBC's Destination X is produced by Twofour, part of ITV Studios, and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studios Group. Andy Cadman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Emanuel Vanderjeudg executive produce alongside Twofour's Dan Adamson, David Clews, and Shireen Abbott.

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