Destination X is almost at the end. Shayne Cureton came fourth in the competition, but he could have gone out much sooner.
He chatted with us about his time on the series, including the strategic play going on that we didn’t see on camera. It turns out that Biggy put a dagger on Shayne’s name for a big reason, and it had nothing to do with lack of trust.
We also got into Rick and Peter’s not-so-secret alliance, the showmance, and more. This is one reality star we expect to see back on our screens in another game.
Shayne Cureton told Biggy to make his move in Destination X
GeekSided: Let’s jump in with just how unique Destination X is. What was it about the show that made you decide this was the one you wanted to do?
Shayne Cureton: It was the travel portion, and the fact that, as funny as this sounds, it wasn’t a dating show. But look at how that turned out.
I’ve always wanted to do a reality show, and this was literally the first one to contact me that wasn’t strictly based on dating.
GS: I was going to get into this later, but you’ve brought up the dating. Ally mentioned last week that you two are no longer together. How are you doing?
SC: Oh, I’m fine. She came here for the breakup, and we had the ability to chat. The location situation wasn’t the greatest, and I wasn’t in a position to be able to move at the time. It is what it is. I’m all for people being happy, and she seems to have found her person. Ally hadn’t been in my life long enough to really impact it.
GS: And she said you’re still friends, which is a great thing.
SC: Yeah.
GS: What about with Biggy, considering he put the dagger on your name?
SC: Oh, I told him to do that. We have a bit of a chance to chat about it, and because of Ally still being in, I wanted to make sure that things were even, because you can’t give yourself a dagger. There was no way to even bump me out if I only had one.
Then Biggy only had two, so I guess there wouldn’t have been a vote. That is where the strategy kind of fell apart, not knowing that Biggy was going to get the ability to vote or choose a person. In my head, it was just a chance to guarantee Rick was in there.
You never know what Jeffrey’s [Dean Morgan] got up his sleeve if there’s a tie. I should have known. The Salzburg challenge, I didn’t know Peter was gonna get the ability to choose. I thought it was still going to be the furthest person away time-wise. I feel Jeffrey did a great job in just kind of keeping you on your toes.
GS: Well, let’s talk Peter and that situation. You thought you were going home.
SC: Oh, sure! I almost fell out of my chair. It was so hard not to smile and chuckle at it when Mack was going, because at that point, we had all banded together to get the new people out. I hated to see her go. It sucked, but when I think about it, I’m like ‘well, then you would have been gone.’
GS: And because of it you got to the Final Four.
SC: I didn’t expect it. That’s why when I went out, it was like, I made it further than I thought I was going to. My boy Biggy got to the final, and that was big to me, because he helped me get this far. I wouldn’t have been anywhere close to episode 9 if it wasn’t for him.
GS: You and Biggy were tight from the start. What was it about him that made you decide he was the one you wanted to create an alliance with?
SC: The fact that he got all six of his tags right in the beginning, and then his personality was someone I could be around. I hadn’t really got a good sense of Rick, and Josh was coming off as the reality star professional, and I didn’t know if I could trust him. Biggy, with the agreement that we made in the beginning, seemed like a solid dude. He trusted me; I trusted him.
Well, I think he trusted me. I think he trusted me a lot more after the show, with how everything played out.
GS: He let the showmance get in his head for a while, which was ridiculous to feel threatened by.
SC: Yes! Me and Ally had made the agreement in the beginning that we wouldn’t let the showmance affect how we play the game with everybody else. I guess people didn’t believe that, or they didn’t fully trust. Once the game’s over, we could be trusted.
GS: It’s too late now!
SC: Yeah!
GS: What was your strategy going into the series?
SC: To bang out every challenge, but as soon as I realized how much everybody else knew, I had to shift it up a little bit. So, that’s when I started forming an alliance, literally after that first challenge.
Me and Tai actually worked together. We just didn’t think of the way Ally and Mack did in just giving one person the tags, but yeah, there was an agreement if she won, she’d take me, and if I won, I’d take her. After Biggy got six and I got to know him a little bit, I could see myself kicking it with him consistently. Tai was a little eccentric for me.
GS: And she proved she couldn’t be trusted, which speaking of someone who couldn’t be trusted, let’s talk Rick and his worst-kept secret ever. How bad was it really kept?
SC: Oh, I would feel more of the carpet pulled out from under me if I wasn’t preaching it the entire time. The show couldn’t show everything, but my opinions on Rick were the same for the entire season. If you got to see the unedited full footage, there are points where I’m sitting in the challenges telling him to get away. We’d be sitting talking, and then Rick would pull up and just say nothing, just pull up and stand right behind you. It’s like ‘Bro, we’re trying to talk here.’
I was trying to tell everybody. Ally listened to me, but nobody else did. Then that even started to cause strife in our alliance.
GS: He was in it for himself, but then you all were. You wanted to win.
SC: For sure, and that’s why I don’t blame him for certain things.
GS: At what point did you realize he was working with Peter and JaNa? That’s the worst-kept secret I was referring to.
SC: Oh, almost immediately. That caused issues with me and Biggy’s relationship on the bus. I was seeing them working together, but Biggy didn’t think Rick would do that. I love my man, Biggy, but it was the one thing that could have changed the trajectory of everything, trusting Rick.
GS: You were one of the weakest players in terms of geographical knowledge. How did that feel going up against Rick (who kept saying he knew nothing, but clearly did), Biggy, Mack, and some of the others? And did you try to play on that?
SC: Just a little bit. There was a certain point where I failed, and my alliance had been locked in. I didn’t want to look like a threat more than I was, but I’m a great mind to bounce off. I just kind of fell into that, and it kind of took the eyes off me once everybody started to look for the biggest threats and who to try to get out of the game.
It’s definitely a strategy I would take into other games. Hopefully, I’ll be able to prep a little better. But yeah, if general knowledge is the base of the game and you have knowledge, don’t show it, even in the challenges. If you end up in the Map Room, cool! Just always come out on top.
I just accepted it. I’m not a big dweller. My life phrase is, ‘Next move. Best move.’ Don’t dwell on this when there’s the next best move to make. For me, things are easy to accept and easy to maneuver. Figure out what you've got to do and do it.
GS: So, I don’t need to ask you if you would do another reality show, because I can tell the answer to that. I’m just going to ask which one you’d like to do.
SC: Whatever one wants me. If I could choose, the physical challenges are good, but I really feel I’ll be able to show my intellect on a social game. Rick wasn’t wrong in that I’m a puppet master. I hate to admit it, because then people start to ask ‘Why are you manipulating me?’ But I’ve talked to enough people and devolved strategies that I’ve had to use.
So, I want to be on something like that. Traitors or The Circle? Something where I gotta manipulate in some fashion.
GS: I’m so glad you said The Circle, because I can imagine you in that. I don’t know if I could see you creating a different personality, because I don’t think you’d need to, but I can see you doing well.
The Destination X finale airs on Tuesday, July 29 at 10/9c on NBC.