Josh Martinez is no stranger to reality TV. He won Season 19 of Big Brother, becoming the first Cuban and Latino winner. Plus, he has appeared several times on The Challenge, bringing his unique gaming style to the long-running series. So, is it a surprise that Josh signed up for NBC’s new competition series, Destination X? Nope!
This TV series was designed for Josh and his skill set. A group of competitors travels on a bus through Europe, unable to see their location. They compete in challenges to win clues to their next destination. Then players will put an X on the location in the map room where they believe they are. The person whose mark is furthest away is eliminated. And the final player standing will pocket a cool $250,000.
Reality Tea caught up with Josh to talk about his reality TV career, his hopes for the future, and why Destination X was more challenging than he expected.
Why did Josh Martinez sign on for Destination X?
“The unknown excited me. I think that not knowing what the hell I was getting myself into … not knowing where the hell I was going…,” Josh explained. “And just something completely different from any other reality experience that I’ve had, or I’ve seen, or I’ve heard of, was the first thing that caught my attention. And I was like, ‘Yup. Sign me up. I’m in.’” He added, “I’m just an adrenaline junkie and I love adventure, so it seemed like the perfect show for me.”
However, this new show did have some hurdles that Josh had to confront. “With all these shows, there’s so many highs and lows … even though being on the bus, confined in there, [for] numerous amount of hours, your mind will play so many games on you,” the reality TV vet stated. “Because you really had no idea where the hell you were going, what was going on, what part of the world you’re in, so that is such a mind … you know. It really does screw with you.”
But Josh loved being part of the Destination X cast. “I did love the experience – I had the best time. I met some amazing people. They’re all gamers, which is crazy,” he said. “You normally have like a flop, or like wallpaper in there. Like, no. Every single one of them brought something. So, it’s just a really good group of people.” Plus, Josh had nothing but raves for NBC.
“And I loved working with NBC. I think truly, like, one of the best production companies I’ve ever worked with, and they took such great care of us. It felt very nice, and I just felt very special. And it was a really good experience.”
How did Destination X compare to Big Brother and The Challenge?
So, how did Destination X stack up against the other shows that Josh competed on? It’s like mixing apples and oranges, folks. “Oh, completely different. It was so hard. I think this was top two hardest shows I’ve ever done,” Josh stated. The first being The Challenge: Total Madness, which was filmed in a bunker located in Prague. Yikes! “I don’t do well with confined spaces, and I’ve realized that. It just took Destination X to teach me that,” he added.
However, the element of “the unknown” kept everyone’s engine in high gear. “It’s just like your mind is constantly running, and I’m used to that in these games, but you have kind of an off button. And you’re able to escape it and take a breather. Go for a run,” Josh explained. “You know, disconnect a little bit. But in here, just trapped in the bus, and it’s just game, game, game, game, game. And you’re going stir-crazy.”
Josh called the entire experience “pretty tough.” Meanwhile, the Big Brother star teased that Destination X is “going to be great TV, guys.”
One interesting point was that the cast was forming strategic alliances on the plane. “I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t. This group came to play.’ And I didn’t want to come in hot and heavy, playing too hard,” Josh remarked. “That was something that I think I was not expecting was for these people to come in gaming.”
Plus, Josh recently started watching the Amazon Prime Video series, The Boys, so seeing host Jeffrey Dean Morgan was a surreal moment. “I was kind of like star-struck, and I don’t get star-struck. I’ve met a lot of celebrities. And instantly, I was like, ‘I was just watching you three days ago. This is unreal,’” The Challenge star said.
“He has his devilish ways. I think he got a thrill from tormenting us and seeing us all terrified and being scared of the unknown.” He added, “They couldn’t have picked a better host for the show.”
Which reality TV show would Josh Martinez like to try next?
Let’s just say that Josh knows what type of reality show he doesn’t want to join. “A dating show” isn’t in the cards. However, there is one project out there that Josh is clamoring to be part of.
“I mean, I’ll just say it. I would love to do [The] Traitors,” the Destination X contestant said. “And I think that show would be really fun, and I think I would either thrive or spiral. But I think that I just want to see how I do on it, and I’m such a big fan of the show.” I could see Josh as either a Faithful or a Traitor.
As for which reality TV show is Josh’s favorite? “Oh. Big Brother is like my baby. That’s like your first child, you know? That changed my life,” Josh explained. “I say that it’s the key that opened the doors to this world for me. And I grew up being a fan. I was a little Cuban kid, and I didn’t see a lot of people like myself on TV, and I wanted to see more representation.”
Josh continued, “And for me to be one of the people to change that is kind of crazy. And I’m very happy with what my life has turned into.”
Destination X premieres Tuesday, May 27 at 10/9c on NBC, and streams next-day on Peacock.
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