The BBC has commissioned a second series of the new reality adventure game show Destination X, according to reports.
Presented by Gavin and Stacey’s Rob Brydon, the first episode of the show premiered last month with a positive reception.
It’s claimed that the BBC has already ordered another series ahead of the series one finale later this month, though it has not been formally announced yet.
A show insider told Daily Star: “Everyone at the BBC thinks Destination X is a cracking show, so they want to bring it back in 2026.”
“It’s a clear sign that they have faith it could become one of the biggest shows on TV.”
Brydon will reportedly be offered a big fee to return as host, while producers will begin discussing new locations for the series. The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.
The programme follows nine contestants as they board a blacked-out bus and solve clues to deduce their location. At the end of every episode, they must place an X on a map as they guess where they are. The person whose guess is furthest away is eliminated each episode, while the winner at the end of the series will take home £100,000.
In the first series, set in Europe, contestants were dropped off in Baden-Baden, Germany, at a fake airport terminal, where they faced a series of challenges before being flown by a helicopter to their next location. However, deception and underhand tactics soon crept in as individuals were given the chance to withhold information or try to lead each other astray. The finale airs on 29 August.
The format, which has already enjoyed success with its US version presented by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, has been compared to a combination of the BBC’s most popular game shows: Race Across the World and The Traitors. Different adaptations of the format have also aired in the Netherlands and Denmark.
In The Independent’s four-star review of the show, Helen Coffey wrote: “With its combination of head-scratching puzzles, conniving contestants and camera-friendly landscapes, Destination X undeniably has the X factor – an ideal bit of midweek telly that feels sure to go the distance.”
But the show has also received criticism. Richard Osman told The Rest is Entertainment podcast that, although the show was trying to have “the beauty of Race Across The World” and the "tension of The Traitors,” it missed the mark.
He claimed the scenery of the show doesn't work since viewers are given the same clues as contestants and are playing along at home, meaning a lot of the location can't be shown.
Speaking about his presenting role on the show, Brydon told the BBC that he took some inspiration from The Traitors host Claudia Winkleman, saying: “I did look to Claudia. I love the lightness of touch there… I didn’t want to get in the way of the show, so I was very aware of that.”
