Destination X review: Rob Brydon's star vehicle is a bus
It has been called the new Traitors, but what hasn't? The BBC hit has generated so many wannabes, I half expect Songs of Praise to be next for a Traitors makeover. In the meantime, here's Destination X, a blend of game show, coach trip and geography lesson. What will they think of next, sighs the viewer.
Rob Brydon took the Claudia role, welcoming the 13 contestants to an airport in Baden-Baden. After a Traitors-style quick fire elimination round, the ten remaining were introduced to the luxury coaches that will be their home for the duration. Though kitted out nicely enough, a coach is a coach (with an inevitably small, shared toilet). Not quite The Traitors HQ at Ardross Castle.
Players are given a series of clues and at the end of each episode have to guess where they are. The person furthest away is sent home. Whoever is left at the end of the ten weeks scoops a very nice £100,000. Take that, Race Across the World with your measly 20 grand.
It sounds easy enough given a basic knowledge of geography, but there's a catch. Of course there is. Producers control what the players see via goggles that go on and off and coach windows that switch from opaque to clear.
There's some faffing in a big box besides, plus shoals of red herrings, and a dash of Traitors-like skulduggery. To be fair, Destination X, a hit in its native Belgium, is not just The Traitors on wheels. There are so many other competitive reality shows referenced, from Race Across the World and Coach Trip, to Big Brother and Challenge Anneka, it would be wrong to single out just one.
Every reality show relies on a few 'characters' emerging from the mix. Among the contenders here are a London cabbie who has climbed Kilimanjaro and rowed the Atlantic but who took 14 years to do The Knowledge; a nuclear engineer; a pilot; a historian; and a multiple-marathon runner. No Scottish accents in case you were wondering.
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Deborah the crime writer, 62, was looking good till it emerged she doesn't like lying. Once the friendliness of the first week is over, that could prove a drawback. Dawn, a 34-year-old care assistant from Northern Ireland, whose prep for the series was buying a children's atlas from TK Maxx for a fiver, could be one to watch.
It wasn't much of a vote of confidence in the show when one of the younger contestants, Mahdi, quit because he was missing his home-cooked meals back in Tottenham. Will there be others?
Not if Brydon has anything to do with it. Though sporting a navy blazer, the Gavin & Stacey star went full Butlins Redcoat early doors and did not let up. He's a naturally friendly sort, so there are no mountains of likability to climb. How different it would be if the producers had opted for Steve Coogan, Brydon's oppo in the sublime The Trip. Now that would be a trip.
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Scottish Sun
26 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
BBC launches probe into Strictly cocaine use after claims stars took drug and it was widely discussed on show
BBC has now had to launch four separate inquiries over the past year into claims of misconduct STRICTLY COKE SCANDAL BBC launches probe into Strictly cocaine use after claims stars took drug and it was widely discussed on show THE BBC has hired a law firm to probe damning allegations of cocaine abuse on Strictly Come Dancing by two stars. It is said their drug use was 'well known' on the show. Advertisement 3 BBC's Strictly is facing a fresh crisis after shocking drugs allegations were made Credit: Getty 3 A law firm has been hired to probe damning allegations of cocaine abuse on Strictly Come Dancing Credit: Alamy 3 Worried Strictly chiefs are determined to deliver a trouble-free new show Credit: PA Former contestants, dancers and crew will be able to speak to law firm Pinsent Masons to share any concerns. The show is facing a fresh crisis after the shocking drugs allegations were made in a legal submission to the BBC in March by law firm Russells on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans. It is understood others have also reported to the BBC allegations of drug taking on Strictly Come Dancing. A BBC spokesman told The Sun on Sunday yesterday: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. Advertisement 'We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. 'Off their face' 'It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.' The latest stunning claims include one of Strictly Come Dancing's stars allegedly saying to a celebrity about another person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'. A celebrity is also said to have revealed it was 'well known on the show that two stars took cocaine . . . it was talked about widely among the cast'. Advertisement A source said yesterday: 'These claims are extremely serious and should be taken as such. "Given only last year that the BBC's Director-General promised to clean up Strictly, it seems particularly shocking. Furious Wynne Evans reveals he's no longer speaking to Strictly's Katya Jones as he hits out at BBC 'The idea of the show's stars discussing drug-taking is deeply disturbing. 'The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. Advertisement 'Now they are taking firm action. They've been told that it's well-known that two stars took drugs, including cocaine, which was talked about widely among the cast. 'Also, the BBC has been told that one star described another as being 'off their face' on drugs. 'It was alleged the star said to another celebrity about a third person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'.' We are not naming the stars who are accused of drug-taking. Advertisement The Corporation is under enormous pressure to take these on-record allegations seriously Source News of the inquiry comes 14 months after a probe was launched into claims of misconduct by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, who was later forced to step down amid bullying allegations. It means the BBC has now had to launch four separate inquiries over the past year into claims of misconduct. Others have been drawn into allegations of bullying on the BBC Breakfast show and dozens of claims of misconduct by Gregg Wallace, who has since been sacked as host of MasterChef. The source went on: 'The BBC pledged to clean up its act and bolster its duty-of-care measures. Advertisement 'The Corporation is under enormous pressure to take these on-record allegations seriously in order to continually improve and monitor its welfare protocol ahead of the new series. 'No one wants to see the show's image damaged, but it's imperative that people are treated fairly and complaints of bad behaviour taken seriously. 'These allegations are extremely serious and the BBC will not brush them under the carpet. 'Lies and cover-ups' 'They need to protect the image of the show and make sure contestants feel safe and protected at all times. It is, after all, supposed to be a family show.' Advertisement Worried Strictly chiefs are determined to deliver a trouble-free new show — as preparations have already started for the production of the upcoming 23rd series. In January opera singer Evans — famous for his role in the Go Compare TV ads — was axed from the Strictly live tour after he was recorded making an inappropriate sexual comment to co-star Jamie Borthwick using the term 'spit-roast'. In May, in an emotional Instagram message, Evans revealed he had been told by the BBC they were not renewing his one-year contract — which included him working with Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page on travel show All at Sea. It came despite both public and private support from Janette Manrara —who was said to be the subject of the spit-roast comment — as well as her husband Aljaz Skorjanec and Wynne's Strictly pro dance partner Katya Jones. Advertisement Last week angry Evans blasted the BBC for 'lies and cover-ups' — claiming that the Corporation had been 'fundamentally flawed in its duty of care to him'. These allegations are extremely serious and the BBC will not brush them under the carpet Source He also accused bosses of 'only caring about protecting themselves and their jobs and ratings'. In April The Sun on Sunday revealed EastEnders actor Borthwick had filmed a video of himself messing around with a sex toy in a Strictly Come Dancing live tour dressing room. He was later suspended by the Beeb over a slur against disabled people which was made on the Strictly set. Advertisement Last year the BBC was beset with numerous crises on Strictly. Sherlock and Mr Selfridge actress Amanda Abbington revealed she had been diagnosed with PTSD after being paired with Pernice. Despite repeated claims against the Italian dancer from former partners including Laura Whitmore, the BBC did not take action until Amanda employed lawyers and issued a formal complaint. The Corporation found in her favour on a number of claims concerning verbal bullying and harassment by Pernice. Advertisement Claims also emerged of fellow Italian Graziano Di Prima kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, forcing Beeb bosses to fire him on the spot. As a result of the investigation — first revealed by The Sun — the Corporation's Director-General Tim Davie made an unprecedented apology to anyone who had suffered abusive behaviour during their time on the hit Saturday night programme.
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside Celebrity SAS' Michaella McCollum's life after Peru Two drug mule nightmare
Michaella McCollum has finally found television success with Celeb SAS and has successfully turned her life around since her days as one of the infamous Peru Two It's been a bumpy road to television success for Celeb SAS star Michaella McCollum, who first became known to the public as part of the Peru Two more than a decade ago. At just 19 years old, she and Melissa Reid were caught and arrested at Lima airport, Peru. The duo had tried to conceal the drugs in sachets of porridge and jelly, in the hopes of disguising the smell, but she has completely turned her life around since those dark days. The 31-year-old, who is a native of Dungannon in Northern Ireland, was initially sentenced to six years and eight months behind bars for her crime and was detained at the notorious Ancon 2. But in early 2016, she applied for parole and was eventually released on the provision of residing in Peru for up to six years, although she was able to return home that April. Now, she's set to open up about her ordeal Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins - and it comes after news that Rebecca Loos faces brutal Beckham grilling on Celebrity SAS over 'mistakes'. Viewers will see Michaella be unveiled as recruit number three on Channel 4's latest series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on Sunday night. The tough military programme is fronted by Mark 'Billy' Billingham, Jason 'Foxy' Fox, Rudy Reyes, and Chris Oliver, and she has joined a line up with the likes of S Club's Hannah Spearritt, Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri and Traitors winner Harry Clark amongst a host of others. She's set to be put through her paces from the outset, with one of her first tasks being labelled an "epic fail" by one of the commanders. Before her stint on SAS, Michaella made headlines as part of the Peru Two over 12 years ago. In 2013, Michaella had enjoyed a holiday in Ibiza and opted to stay longer while she sought bar work. Eventually, she accepted an offer to carry 11kg of cocaine - worth £1.5 million - out of the country but, along with her accomplice, was caught at Jorge Chávez International Airport. Michaella confessed to being under the influence of drugs before committing her crime, as she told Good Morning Britain earlier this year. She explained: "I went to Ibiza when I was 19, it was the first time I'd left the UK, it was my first holiday there. I had no friends, I went completely alone and I didn't know anybody. "Within two weeks, I started making friendships and relationships', I made a friendship with a group of people who ended up luring me into trafficking drugs. The initial friendship, everybody in Ibiza at that time, was consuming a lot of drugs. I, as well, was consuming a lot of drugs and drinking a lot of alcohol." Explaining that her young age allowed her to be 'manipulated' into the situation, she added: "I had this safe group of people who didn't take drugs or drink alcohol so I was inclined to spend time with them. They were good people, they didn't do anything, they didn't party. That's what they do, these organisations, they have people who are pickers. Their job is mainly to pick people to become mules, and they target your vulnerabilities. Your vulnerability might be your age, at 19 or 20, you're incredibly naïve and easy to manipulate." She believed the people she was spending time with were safe because they didn't drink or take drugs. This led to her 'trusting them' and thinking they were 'good people' because they 'didn't party', which helped them to 'lure' her into becoming a drug trafficker. At the time, members of Michaella's family thought she had gone missing on the Spanish island and flooded social media with pleas for her information of her whereabouts but it later emerged that she had been caught smuggling drugs. She and Melissa became known as the Peru Two as their story became known around the world. The pair initially claimed that they had been coerced into going through with the plan by a gang, however they both pleaded guilty to drug smuggling and were sentenced to over six years' imprisonment in the Ancon 2 jail. During her time in Ancon, Michaella took up a place on a beauty therapy course and began training to be a hairdresser. What's more, she also taught herself Spanish in under a year to give herself a better chance of survival in prison. Michaella was granted parole on March 31, 2016, after serving half of her sentence. Her friend Melissa was also freed that same year, on June 21, after Peruvian authorities agreed to 'expel' her from the country. While Melissa has chosen to stay out of the public eye, Melissa has spent the last decade carving out a successful career as an author, public speaker and appeared in her own Netflix series detailing the events of her past. In 2019, she published her memoir You'll Never See Daylight Again, and, at the time, she hit back at critics who suggested she would be making a lot of money from the book deal. She told Lorraine during an appearance on her eponymous chat show: "My family have got themselves into so much debt from this whole process. If I do make money from this, my intentions were never, I was never driven to make money from this, but if I do make some money, then my family would be my priority. Obviously, if I do get a bit extra, then I'd like to help them give back in a way." But Michaella came under fire from Piers Morgan during an appearance on Good Morning Britain to promote her book, where the broadcaster accused her of profiting from her own crime. Piers refused to accept her statement that she was using the book to raise awareness and prevent others from making her mistakes. In fact he believed she must have been hoping for some financial gain, before hitting out at her for suggesting media portrayal of her at the time of the incident wasn't fair. He also didn't appear to believe her claims over being naïve when she carried the drugs aged 20. These days, Michaella, who is also a single mother-of-two to twin boys, has become a successful Instagram influencer and boasts more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Just last month, she impressed followers with two 'stunning' photos captured on holiday at a beautiful location. And fans were quick to rush to the comments section to not only compliment her on her appearance, but also on her journey over the last 12 years. One person said: 'Just finished your audiobook! Found it to be an inspirational read, quite heartwarming actually, which wasn't expected. "Your honesty about the situation came across really well. Well done and good luck with your future endeavours'. Another added: 'Stunning photos and you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress'. Opening up about why she chose to accept the offer to star on television's toughest reality series, she said: "I was hesitant at the start. And then I thought, you know what, when in life are you going to be faced with those types of challenges? You're not! I was at the point in my life where I was just stuck in my comfort zone, and I thought this is a good way to break those barriers and do the things that scare me, and maybe that will help me in the future with decisions and just different things in life. I need to be okay with taking risks and stepping outside of my comfort zone. So I thought, for me personally, it would be a good challenge to test myself. So that was the main reason."
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
BBC launches probe into Strictly cocaine use after claims stars took drug and it was widely discussed on show
THE BBC has hired a law firm to probe damning allegations of cocaine abuse on Strictly Come Dancing by two stars. It is said their drug use was 'well known' on the show. 3 3 3 Former contestants, dancers and crew will be able to speak to law firm Pinsent Masons to share any concerns. The show is facing a fresh crisis after the shocking drugs allegations were made in a legal submission to the BBC in March by law firm Russells on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans. It is understood others have also reported to the BBC allegations of drug taking on Strictly Come Dancing. A BBC spokesman told The Sun on Sunday yesterday: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. 'We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. 'Off their face' 'It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.' The latest stunning claims include one of Strictly Come Dancing's stars allegedly saying to a celebrity about another person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'. A celebrity is also said to have revealed it was 'well known on the show that two stars took cocaine . . . it was talked about widely among the cast'. A source said yesterday: 'These claims are extremely serious and should be taken as such. "Given only last year that the BBC's Director-General promised to clean up Strictly, it seems particularly shocking. Furious Wynne Evans reveals he's no longer speaking to Strictly's Katya Jones as he hits out at BBC 'The idea of the show's stars discussing drug-taking is deeply disturbing. 'The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. 'Now they are taking firm action. They've been told that it's well-known that two stars took drugs, including cocaine, which was talked about widely among the cast. 'Also, the BBC has been told that one star described another as being 'off their face' on drugs. 'It was alleged the star said to another celebrity about a third person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'.' We are not naming the stars who are accused of drug-taking. News of the inquiry comes 14 months after a probe was launched into claims of misconduct by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, who was later forced to step down amid bullying allegations. It means the BBC has now had to launch four separate inquiries over the past year into claims of misconduct. Others have been drawn into allegations of bullying on the BBC Breakfast show and dozens of claims of misconduct by Gregg Wallace, who has since been sacked as host of MasterChef. The source went on: 'The BBC pledged to clean up its act and bolster its duty-of-care measures. 'The Corporation is under enormous pressure to take these on-record allegations seriously in order to continually improve and monitor its welfare protocol ahead of the new series. 'No one wants to see the show's image damaged, but it's imperative that people are treated fairly and complaints of bad behaviour taken seriously. 'These allegations are extremely serious and the BBC will not brush them under the carpet. 'Lies and cover-ups' 'They need to protect the image of the show and make sure contestants feel safe and protected at all times. It is, after all, supposed to be a family show.' Worried Strictly chiefs are determined to deliver a trouble-free new show — as preparations have already started for the production of the upcoming 23rd series. In January opera singer Evans — famous for his role in the Go Compare TV ads — was axed from the Strictly live tour after he was recorded making an inappropriate sexual comment to co-star Jamie Borthwick using the term 'spit-roast'. In May, in an emotional Instagram message, Evans revealed he had been told by the BBC they were not renewing his one-year contract — which included him working with Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page on travel show All at Sea. It came despite both public and private support from Janette Manrara —who was said to be the subject of the spit-roast comment — as well as her husband Aljaz Skorjanec and Wynne's Strictly pro dance partner Katya Jones. Last week angry Evans blasted the BBC for 'lies and cover-ups' — claiming that the Corporation had been 'fundamentally flawed in its duty of care to him'. He also accused bosses of 'only caring about protecting themselves and their jobs and ratings'. In April The Sun on Sunday revealed EastEnders actor Borthwick had filmed a video of himself messing around with a sex toy in a Strictly Come Dancing live tour dressing room. He was later suspended by the Beeb over a slur against disabled people which was made on the Strictly set. Last year the BBC was beset with numerous crises on Strictly. Sherlock and Mr Selfridge actress Amanda Abbington revealed she had been diagnosed with PTSD after being paired with Pernice. Despite repeated claims against the Italian dancer from former partners including Laura Whitmore, the BBC did not take action until Amanda employed lawyers and issued a formal complaint. The Corporation found in her favour on a number of claims concerning verbal bullying and harassment by Pernice. As a result of the investigation — first revealed by The Sun — the Corporation's Director-General Tim Davie made an unprecedented apology to anyone who had suffered abusive behaviour during their time on the hit Saturday night programme.
