They say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. But even thoughJosh Martinezdidn't know he was in the iconic Italian city during his one-episode stint onDestination X, he still brought the gladiatorial combativeness that has made him a reality TV veteran of the past eight years. While Josh revealed to the cast of the new NBC series that he had previously been in theBig Brotherhouse, he failed to disclose that he was a winner, nor his seven seasons to this point onThe Challenge. But when Josh was led astray from the correct destination byRick Szabo, he flew into a familiar combative spirit. Feeling Rick had sabotaged him, upon hearing he was eliminated, he gave the rest of the group some ominous final words, calling him a "snake" on his way out.Josh spoke withParadeabout his choice to call out Rick, an even bigger fight that didn't make the edit and why he's looking to stay on NBC reality for the foreseeable future. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 You've been clearly trying to sample some shows outside ofBig BrotherandThe Challengein the past year. What made you decide to board the bus and hop onto a brand-new show inDestination X?I'm glad that you said that. Because I think what's so wild is, last year, 2024, I said, "I want to step out of my comfort zone in my reality career. I want to do something different." And it's just so funny. As soon as I put out to the universe, I got reached out for probably every project. AndDestination Xjust caught my eye, because it was completely different from anything I've ever seen on TV. I mean, it is completely different. I love to travel. I'm an adrenaline junkie; I love adventure. And it's all of that in a bus! And then $250,000 doesn't sound too bad either, in six weeks. So that was an easy sell.But I think what made me choose this project over another one that I had on the table was NBC. I mean, for everybody that's in the competition space, NBC is killing it. You see the shows that they're producing, and I'm such a fan of all of their shows. So I was like, "I just want in! I just want to be on the roster." So when I spoke to them, and they were excited about me, as I was excited to be part of the project, it was just an easy yes. And I'm so happy I did it. Even though I went out early, I'm really happy I did it.Well, let's talk about why you went out so early.When it was revealed you were in Rome, you were upset, given the fact that you had just been there less than a year ago. I imagine there was a lot going through your head when you were eliminated. How did finding out where you were get mixed in with all that?Well, what's worse is that the night before I went to bed, I had this gut feeling. And I remember, I think I told Ali, "We're in Rome. I feel like we're in Rome." My whole team, everybody was locked in on Rome. So I go to bed, I'm like, "I'm in Rome. I'm good, I'm Gucci." I felt so confident in that, to my core. And then to go on the bus, and then just be sitting there. And your mind's just playing while you're waiting. Obviously, it looks fast on TV. You're sitting there for about an hour, and everybody's just conversating.That's where the game changed for me. And I'm in conversation with Rick, and I'm hearing Milan. And I'm like, "Well,arewe in Milan?" And your mind starts playing games on you. And I'm just so disappointed in myself for not trusting myself. And I think that's the biggest lesson that I take from this, just trusting myself more for future experiences. But, yeah, it was really tough. And then, as soon as the doors of the bus opened and I saw the gate, I didn't even see the Colosseum or anything. I saw the gate and the street, and I walked on this block a year ago with my family, so heartbroken. But you know what, dude? Even though it was short-lived, I'm so happy I was part of it. And now I get to enjoy it as a fan and a viewer because I'm invested in these people.When you found out you were eliminated, you announced publicly that Rick is a "snake" and that he shouldn't be trusted. Talk to me about your intention behind that, and do you believe in retrospect that he was indeed trying to sabotage you?Now that I know what I know...who knows?! You never know. With Rick, I didn't trust Rick from the very beginning. Rick is a lovely guy. Let's just make that clear. When I talk about him, I'm talking about his game and how he played the game. So I don't want him because they are new to this. I don't want him to think that I'm bashing him. But I didn't trust him. I didn't trust him at all. We didn't connect. I could see the game that he was playing. He was trying to be in with everybody, and I just didn't trust that.So right off the bat, I had red flags with him. And I just thought I would have more time. I wanted to jump on him right away, me being Josh. But I was like, "Josh, it's too early. Don't be that guy. Sit back, relax. You're sitting pretty. You're in a good team. You're going to have time." Once I saw myself leaving, I was like, "Oh no, this is the time." Look, I wanted to put a target on him, because I wanted to give the people that I had connected with a better chance at the game. And I also wanted people to see the game that he was playing. He was playing every single angle, and he was kind of like the dad of the group, and I just don't trust that. So, yeah, I kind of wanted to draw attention to him and kind of have the focus on him, so that people had somebody to target moving forward. But I think it was pretty nice for my approach and for the way that I go about calling people out. I think it was pretty nice.We saw you talk about the fact that you playedBig Brotherto the rest of the cast. But you choose not to disclose that you won your season, nor the fact that you've done multiple seasons ofThe Challenge. Talk to me about your intentions behind that.So, first of all, going into it, I didn't think I was going to be the first reality personality. I thought the whole cast was going to be reality stars. But once I saw that I didn't recognize anybody. We're talking; we're opening up. Nobody's talking about their TV experiences. For me, it was just going to be easier, because it is a big part of my life. I also didn't say that I won Big Brother and that I've done multiple seasons of The Challenge, because I didn't want to put this huge target on my back. I think once you say you won one of these shows, instantly people are like, "They're a manipulator, they're a snake, they're this backstabbing person."So I didn't want to draw that to myself. I kind of just wanted to be like, "Hey, I've just done it before. I have experience in this." But I didn't want to draw all that attention on me. And I think it did work out. I think that when production was giving rules and stuff like that. I gained a lot of trust within my team, even the people that I was teamed up with. Because they felt like, "Alright, you know the ropes a little bit. Show us how it's done." So it was good. It kind of worked out for me. And I think moving forward on other shows, if I do end up with newbies, I think I'll be honest about it again if they don't know me.You mentioned building camaraderie with your team. Who would you say you were closest toby the time you left Destination X?Oh, everybody that I was teamed up with. I would say I got pretty close with Biggy and Shayne. I felt connected to them. They just reminded me of friends back home, so it felt very natural. But I would say a lot of them: Ally, Tai, Kim. I would say I felt very connected to a lot of them. So I hit it off pretty good. And obviously you see an hour of 3, 4, 5 days on that bus. But I hit it off pretty good and pretty fast. And I felt like I was getting my footing, and I felt positioned very well. So that's what sucked. I felt like if I would have gotten past this one, I would have done really well in the competition, because I was already building a relationship with these people.During the main challenge, you had wanted to step up as the main person running around town for your team, but Biggy volunteered and you abdicated to him. What's interesting is that if you had been chosen, you could have feasibly recognized where you were, which may have saved you. How do you look back on that decision?Oh, biggest regret. I will never, ever, ever leave my fate in anybody else's hands. And I should have known, but I think I wanted to be a team player. I didn't want to be the one to pipe up and then we lose. But in that sense, I should have just thought, "F–k it. Just take control. You go see where you're at." And I should have done that, but I was like, "You know what? If the team feels comfortable with sending Biggy, then go ahead." I will never do that again on any other show. If you see me be aggressive with wanting to make a move, just know that it comes from that very moment, right there. It stems from me giving the power to Biggy instead of me running outside. Because instantly I would have known, "Oh, I'm in Italy and I'm in Rome." I've been there a bunch of times, literally the summer before. So I would have known where I was at.You mentioned how much time you spent on the bus before you left. What's one moment that you wish we got to see?There's so much. I kind of got into it with Mack as well. Me and Mack kind of got into a big argument, which was way more intense than mine and Rick's. Because I think Mack calls me out or something like that. She's like, "Oh, I would love to send him into the Map Room" or something like that. And instantly, I just popped off on her. My reaction was just to go up. So there was little things that they didn't show in conversation. When we're in front of Jeffrey, we're sitting there for like an hour and a half, two hours, and just going back and forth. So I think that would have made for great TV also, because I kind of go off on Rick and go off on Mac and just kind of go off on that whole other side.And then just connections and relationships, obviously, there's only so much to show. And I want to say the editing was so good. Based off of that first episode, I'm hooked. But the editing was great. They did a great job. But, obviously, there's strong connections. You're locked on the bus, so all you're doing is talking. So these relationships, by day two, I know everything about these people. So I think that there were very strong friendships with Biggy and Ally. But man, I'm just bummed now. Just reliving this and doing these interviews, it is hitting home. Then I'm like, "Oh God, I really had to be first boot."Well, as you step off the bus, two more reality stars will be stepping on in your stead in Peter Weber and JaNa Craig. What's your reaction to the two of them entering the game?Oh, I was so excited, but I was bummed also. With JaNa, I watched [Love Island]. I mean, the whole world watched, right? I went away filming. But when I got home, I saw the hype withLove Islandand obviously caught a few episodes. JaNa is great, so I would have loved meeting her. And then Peter, he's a great guy. I loved him onTraitors; I was such a fan of his. So I really would have loved playing with him, and I think we would have made a really good team. So I was a little bummed. But I'm excited. I think they're going to bring so much to the show, and that was perfect, perfect casting. So yeah, I'm excited to see how they do.While I have you here, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up some interviews and social media posts you've made about not being onThe ChallengeSeason 42, which is set to film at some point in the future. So can you confirm that you're not looking to return to MTV anytime soon, in lieu of seeking other reality TV pastures?I'm glad you brought that up. I think I made an emotional tweet being Josh, an impulsive, emotional tweet. Listen, I'm very grateful for everything thatThe Challengehas given me. It's been one of the best experiences in my life, and it's given me so much. Obviously, there's politics and things and stuff like that that happen behind the scenes, and it's a little tough. But all in all, I do love doing the show. I'm in a space right now, though, where, while I'm extremely grateful forThe Challenge, I'm in a space where I think taking a little bit of a breather from the show and taking a little bit of a break is healthy for me. And I would love to work on other projects and other opportunities, and just see what else God and the universe have in store for me. BecauseThe Challengecan be consuming, especially time and time and time again. I want to come back and be excited and be happy to be there and be hungry to compete. And to just take a little breather from that fanbase seems healthy for me. So, yeah, I think I'll take a break. But I'm not walking away from it. I'm not retiring. Me saying that I want to break isn't the worst thing. If you see me on the next one, then the money was right. [Laughs.]So then, if you're looking to get onto other shows in the interim, are you more interested in a new format likeDestination X? Or a more tried and true format likeThe Traitors?Let's just say this. Not even to pick a show or anything, I would love to continue to work with NBC. The time that I had with them leading up to the show, the treatment after the way the producers are calling you, and the way that they do things at NBC needs to be studied. I think that the short experience that I have, but even leading up to the project and everybody that I connected with, I so badly want to continue to work with them. Because they were just such an amazing crew, the production team, just everything. Even negotiating for the show was easy! [Laughs.] It was effortless. It was like, "Alright, let's do it."So it was just such a good experience, all in all. That's why I'm bummed. In a sense, I kind of feel like I let them down a little bit. So I kind of need my redemption. And the next show, fingers crossed, when I bring the smoke, just know that I'm redeeming myself fromDestination X. [Laughs.] When I f–k your favorites up and play hard. I'm so hungry to play. I'm so hungry to game. And I grew up competing, and I grew up playing chess. And I love these shows. That's why I do it, because I love playing. And I didn't get to play. So the next show that I end up on, wherever it's at, hopefully it's with NBC, I'm ready to game. Related: Get a First Look at the Cast of NBC's New Reality Show 'Destination X' (Exclusive) Josh Martinez Reveals an Big Argument We Didn't See on 'Destination X' (Exclusive)first appeared on Parade on May 28, 2025
