Cliff Notes – I interview celebrities – but Rob Brydon’s sweaty bus tour was surreal
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The journalist joined Rob Brydon on a sweltering bus for a promotional experience of his new BBC series, Destination X, which combines elements of Race Across The World and The Traitors.
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Participants in Destination X must solve clues to determine their location, with the added pressure of elimination based on their guesses, making the competition intense and engaging.
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Brydon expressed his commitment to balancing Entertainment with empathy, aiming for the show to be a family-friendly experience that encourages shared viewing.
I interview celebrities – but Rob Brydon’s sweaty bus tour was surreal
We were ‘sitting like lobsters in a pot’ on the unpredictable journey (Picture: BBC/TwoFour)
Sweating buckets on a bus while Rob Brydon offers me sweets was not on my 2025 Bingo card.
But that’s where I found myself one boiling day in early July, as I joined the TV presenter for a one-of-a-kind experience ahead of his new BBC series.
‘We’re all sitting here like lobsters in a pot,’ the Gavin and Stacey star quipped in his unmistakable sardonic tone as we fanned ourselves in the sweltering summer heat.
It’s a testament to how intriguing the premise of Destination X is – a crossover between Race Across The World and The Traitors, with a £100,000 cash prize at the end – that Metro and a group of fellow journalists willingly sat on a stifling coach for an hour during the height of summer to find out more.
I’ve interviewed plenty of celebrities throughout my career in the entertainment world – such as Richard E Grant in a trailer at Leavesden Studios, and Tom Cruise in Leicester Square – but hanging out on a bus with the host of Would I Lie To You? was certainly one of the most surreal encounters I’ve had.
Our day started at the Curzon Cinema in Hoxton, as a bus with blacked-out windows waited for its passengers to board. A far cry from the airport where the contestants on the series begin their journeys in episode one, without a single clue of where they’re being taken.
The bus was ready to go as we arrived at the Curzon Cinema in Hoxton (Picture: Sabrina Barr)
There was more to the popcorn than meets the eye (Picture: Sabrina Barr)
I thought I’d have what it takes to guess the location… but failed miserably (Picture: Sabrina Barr)
As I walked up the steps into the coach, the luxurious layout took me by surprise immediately. Plush emerald green sofas and matching cushions, boxes of popcorn, supplies of sweets on every armrest. I’ll admit, the sweet tooth in me was successfully distracted.
What I should have realised is that these snacks weren’t just a lovely treat. They were clues, meticulously placed to help us guess where we were going in our miniature version of the Destination X gameshow.
That’s the aim of the series – for the 13 participants to try and figure out where on Earth they are… literally. They’re sent off on a bus with opaque windows, and take part in challenges for the chance to win clues that will help them suss out their location.
At some points, the windows of the bus are momentarily cleared, and they’re permitted a short glimpse outside to take in their surroundings. That happened with us too – for a few precious seconds, we could see Tower Bridge in the distance.
But for the competitors of Destination X, it’s far harder for them to figure out where they are than you might realise.
The contestants on Destination X have their work cut out for them (Picture: BBC/TwoFour)
The stars of the show have the chance to visit some spectacular locations (Picture: BBC/TwoFour)
Every episode, the contestants place their guesses on a map. If their guess is the furthest from the correct answer, they’re eliminated, and their chances of going home with the £100,000 jackpot are blown.
I’d say I’m fairly good at spotting clues. I love a good TV mystery, and grew up playing chess, so I have a keen eye for detail.
But after attempting to play the game for a single hour a few weeks ago, all I’ll say is that it’s a good thing that I didn’t quit the day job.
As Rob sits next to me on the bus – foregoing his jacket given the muggy heat we’re all failing to ignore – it’s clear how passionate he is about Destination X, his first foray into hosting a gameshow.
With decades of experience in showbiz, starring in films and TV shows such as Holmes & Watson, Barbie and My Lady Jane, Rob knows how to bring the charm to an audience. But he also knows when entertainment shouldn’t come at the expense of someone’s feelings.
There were clues dotted around the bus… but we were none the wiser about where we were going (Picture: Sabrina Barr)
I’m ashamed to say that my guess of the British Museum was completely off track (Picture: Sabrina Barr)
‘You’re very aware of [the contestants’] feelings, because they’re playing for a lot of money,’ he tells us sincerely. ‘I always wanted to be a friendly figure who would occasionally make little jokes, but friendly jokes.’
In the opening episode, the moment when he had to tell someone that they’d been eliminated – and their face ‘crumpled’ with devastation– was particularly difficult for him to endure.
However, that’s the nature of gameshows. People have to be sent home for the champion to be crowned, and in Rob’s view, Destination X is a show that the whole family can enjoy, especially as they work together to try to solve the clues from home.
‘What I love about it is that it’s for the family. I love shows that you can sit and… we would watch The Traitors as a family, and Race Across The World. I love that.
‘I’m proud of Would I Lie to You? being something you can watch [with your family]. The humour is sharp, it’s clever, but you can watch it with your family. I hope this becomes something, appointment viewing for a family. Because if you’re anything like me as a parent, you’re desperate for the stuff that can persuade [your kids] to spend time with you.’
So, after that segue about the importance of watching TV as a family, I bet you’re wondering where we ended up on our little journey across London as a mini taster of what it’s like to play Destination X.
Clues like popcorn buckets and ticket stubs weren’t enough to help us journalists realise that we had literally driven around in a circle and ended back where we started, at Curzon Cinema in Hoxton. Way to make us realise we’d have no chance at winning that £100,000!
Destination X launches tonight at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Episodes air on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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