Destination X star Nick is record-breaking athlete with secret link to Helen Skelton

Destination X took the country by storm when the first two episodes aired on BBC One last week, and one contestant hoping to go all the way is Nick Butter.

The show, which kicked off last week, showcases 13 strangers hoping to win £100,000 by correctly guessing where in the world they've been plonked.

Hosted by Rob Brydon, the adventurous cast head off to a different location every episode, and must try and work out where they are with a series of clues. Episode two saw several contestants successfully identify the Matterhorn in Switzerland as their second stop. It comes after the Mirror revealed all the clues that gave away the cast's location in episode two.

35-year-old endurance athlete Nick Butter was one of the successful candidates, and has now become one of the favourites to win the show due to his determination and skills.

Nick is a British endurance athlete, adventurer, speaker and best selling author. Not only that, the Destination X hopeful also holds 11 world records, and four world firsts.

He's the first, and only person to have run a marathon in every country in the world - running 3 countries each week, for 94 weeks.

Having run a marathon in every country in the world, it's safe to say Nick knows his Geography, which has proved to work hugely in his favour during the first couple of episodes of the show.

Due to his achievements, Nick has gained an impressive following on Instagram, boasting a modest 66.8k followers. Among these followers is television presenter Helen Skelton - who is no stranger to a marathon herself.

Helen has run the London Marathon four times, most recently in April 2025. Earlier this year, she finished with a time of 4:32:31, and was running to raise money for Children with Cancer UK.

The third episode of Destination X debuts on BBC One on August 6, where host Rob Brydon promises more twists and turns.

The challenge in the second episode left fans speechless where participants were split into groups and tasked with securing a clue for their team while precariously perched in a gondola 2,000 metres up in the air.

Rob then revealed a plot twist, one brave soul from each team had to abseil down to retrieve a clue from the bottom of their cart. Viewers shared their shock on X, formerly known as Twitter, as one penned: "This is INSANE he's hanging 2,000ft above air like it's nothing #DestinationX" While someone else tweeted: "Is this for real? #DestinationX".

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