Richard Osman reveals why Destination X has 'missed the mark' after viewer complaints

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Richard Osman has shared his opinion on new BBC show Destination X, comparing it to hit shows The Traitors and Race Across The World during Sky podcast The Rest Is Entertainment
BBC show Destination X has had viewers hooked to their seats – but Richard Osman isn't so keen as he claims the show has "missed the mark".
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The show, which kicked off last week, showcases 13 strangers hoping to win £100,000 by correctly guessing where in the world they've been plonked. Hosted by Rob Brydon, the adventurous cast head off to a different location every episode and must try and work out where in the world they are with a series of clues.
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However, unlike a number of other shows, the audience are left in the lurch too and are encouraged to play along at home. But Richard says the show has 'missed the mark' with that detail, as he said the show was trying to embody both The Traitors and Race Across The World – with little success. It comes after Gary Lineker 'signs a huge deal with ITV to host new show' after BBC exit.
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Last night, viewers viewers found themselves 'getting annoyed' by the sheer lack of knowledge that the contestants seemed to possess, as they attempt to guess their location.
Talking about the show on Sky podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, with Marina Hyde, the former The One Show star said: "Everyone wants it to be something it isn't. That idea that you're in a blacked out coach and you have to work out where you are, it's kind of neat."
Comparing it to Claudia Winkleman 's hit show The Traitors, and Race Across The World, Richard continued: "It's not like The Traitors where they tell you who the Traitors are.
"You don't know where you are so you're trying to look for clues. It's got a bit of 'Oh you've got alliances' like the Traitors. And it's got incredible scenery like Race Across The World."
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Richard then explained: "That if you're the BBC, you're saying that the show you would like is something that has the tension of the Traitors and and the beauty of Race Across The World," however, Richard thinks this may not have worked.
"TwoFour, when they have to actually make the thing they're like... 'Well the alliance thing doesn't really work, we have to slightly make that work in the format.' With The Traitors, it's all you've got, and then this, you have to force it."
Richard also claimed the scenery of the show "doesn't really work," as due to the fact viewers are playing along at home, a lot of the location can't be shown.
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Concluding, Richard claimed that although the show was trying to have "the beauty of Race Across The World" and the "tension of The Traitors," it's essentially missed the mark on both.
Richard wasn't alone in his opinions, as many viewers took to the comments to agree.
"Problem is there's no appreciation for social strategy type games in the UK. It's why we're stuck with shows with public votes, whilst these types of shows thrive in America," penned one.
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Another said: "I just wanted it to be people driven to a mystery place, let out and use their wits on challenges to do with local customs to guess where they were standing!"
Meanwhile, some viewers of the show are also venting their frustration on social media. One viewer took to X to say: "Getting annoyed with #DestinationX - the lack of knowledge is appalling!"
Another said: "I assume it's deliberate in this show that they picked contestants who know absolutely nothing about European languages or Geography, but it's still very frustrating to watch." And a third joked: "We have some exceptionally clever people in this country. We win bucketloads of Nobel prizes, we invented nearly everything worthwhile, we have an elite of world class minds but most of our citizens are thick as pig s***."