James for Destination X UK season one / BBC
Age: 23
Occupation: E-commerce manager
From: Manchester
How did you prepare yourself mentally and physically to take part?
“I haven’t made any changes to my routine. Physically, I go to the gym three to four times a week and mentally I didn’t do much until two weeks ago when I started doing quizzes and trivia to prepare myself. Whilst my analytical brain might be great, my knowledge of geography is terrible and so I have had to do some training on that.”
How far would you go to win the £100k and what would you spend it on?
“It’s a competition and if I’ve got to backstab and betray then I will. That’s quite cutthroat of me to say. The top line is I’d spend it on the betterment of my family’s life, setting myself up for where I want to be later in life and living whilst I can.”
What assumptions will other players make about you?
“People will think I’m not taking it seriously, because I’m going to go in and have a laugh but I’m also there to make money.”
What brings out your competitive side?
“I’m really competitive but only if it’s something I care about. Anyone that has got a chip on their shoulder, and thinks they’re a 10 out of 10, also makes me want to prove them wrong. Being competitive and having an ego can sometimes go hand in hand but I don’t think I have the ego for it, I’m competitive in the healthy way.”
Do you have a strategy for how you are going to play the game?
“I’m going for the angel but devil angle. When I go in, the first thing I’m going to do is suss out the people. And then I’m going to go for the older passengers who might lack things physically. I could maybe be an advocate for them. When it comes to getting clues, it’s going to be a matter of asking myself who I trust and who I want to go forward with. Then if I don’t know and don’t have a clue, I’m going to be relying on them.”
Destination X continues Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One.
