All About Destination X Contestant Josh Martinez's Reality Show Career: Big Brother & More
The Big Brother victor and multiple-time The Challenge contestant is boarding the Destination X bus.
A dozen contestants will board the Destination X bus and drive all across Europe as they attempt to figure out where in the world they are. One of those contestants is no stranger to reality TV or high-stakes competitions — even if Josh Martinez hasn't taken a ride on Destination X before.
Ahead of the new Jeffrey Dean Morgan-hosted NBC show's premiere on May 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, here's everything you need to know about Josh Martinez, one of the contestants on Destination X and a veteran of shows like Big Brother and The Challenge.
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Josh Martinez's Early Life & Reality Show Career
Josh Martinez, who was born in Miami, Florida, on January 4, 1994, made his reality TV debut when he was 23 years old. Martinez, who is Latino and Cuban, was a contestant on the 19th season of Big Brother, which aired in 2017. Known for his boisterous and abrasive personality — especially for banging pots and pans and causing a general ruckus in the Big Brother House to stress his opponents out — Martinez developed a keen eye for strategy and alliance-making. He went on to win Big Brother 19, largely because he'd manage to get the jury to dislike another finalist more than they disliked him. It was the first of many reality TV show's he'd compete in.
"No matter what the game is, I am a people person, I am a social butterfly. I’m extremely extroverted," Martinez said in an interview with NBC. "My personality, either you love me or you hate me, but I’m gonna be genuine and I’m gonna be real and I’m gonna be Josh."
In 2019, Martinez made his first appearance on The Challenge, where he's become a mainstay. He's competed in War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds 2, Total Madness, Double Agents, Spies, Lies & Allies, The Challenge: USA 2, and Battle of the Eras. He has yet to win a season of The Challenge, but in The Challenge: USA 2, he made it to the penultimate round before the final elimination.
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Josh returned to Big Brother for the holiday-themed spin-off series, Big Brother: Reindeer Games, in 2023. He was eliminated in Episode 4 of the six-episode season.
Spanish-speaking reality fans might also have recognized Martinez on Telemundo's Los 50, a reality show that put 50 celebrities in a house in the hopes of winning the grand prize. Martinez was the 17th contestant to be eliminated.
In addition to his extensive reality TV credits, Martinez is also a content creator.
What to expect from Josh Martinez on Destination X
In an interview with NBC, Martinez said Destination X caught his eye because he's "an adrenaline junky."
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"I love new adventures, I’ve loved to travel since I was a kid, so this seems like the ultimate competition,” he said.
Having traveled to South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe as part of his reality TV contests, Martinez seems like a great fit for Destination X, an American adaptation of a hit Belgian show, which has 12 contestants driving around in a bus with blacked-out windows, emerging only for challenges. At the end of each episode, they need to guess where, exactly, they are on the map. The contestant who is the furthest away is eliminated.
“I am a gamer," Martinez said. "But this is a completely different experience than anything that I’m used to. To be on the road and having to figure out where the hell I’m at and having to trust other people."
Will somebody who endures many Challenges and triumphed in the Big Brother house be as successful on a globe-trotting bus? Find out when Destination X premieres on NBC on May 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
