Be warned: the following contains spoilers for the very last episode of Taskmaster season 20, which became available on YouTube November 13th at 5 p.m. Eastern time.
The British game show Taskmaster is a hilarious test of how well people understand instructions, think outside the box, and – crucially – keep their cool under pressure. The challenges are surprisingly difficult – imagine trying to win a horse race while simultaneously eating olives and grapes and throwing darts, or creating a painting using only things you can spit out! It’s truly entertaining television.
The show Taskmaster features five comedians competing to impress Greg Davies, who plays a demanding and humorous taskmaster. Alex Horne, as his assistant, explains the challenges, oversees the competition from their London base, and even creates the tasks, scores them, and provides the show’s music with his band, the Horne Section. Each week, the comedians review their attempts with Davies and Horne in front of a live audience, earning points from Davies based on their performance. Ultimately, the comedian with the highest total points wins a silly prize: a bust of Greg Davies’s head.
For over a decade, Taskmaster has become hugely popular in the U.K., establishing itself as a key part of the comedy scene and inspiring numerous podcasts and international adaptations. The show is enjoyable for many reasons: it introduces audiences to new comedians, showcases great chemistry between the cast, features incredibly silly challenges, and highlights the playfully tense relationship between creators Davies and Horne. Each season feels like a carefully planned dive into comedic chaos, and this year’s two seasons are no exception. Season 19 included American comedian Jason Mantzoukas, who seemed determined to wreak havoc on the Taskmaster House. Season 20 brought back an all-British cast with Maisie Adam, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Phil Ellis, Ania Magliano, and Reece Shearsmith, and their diverse reactions to the tasks – from wild excitement to utter confusion, and even Bhaskar’s resigned indifference – perfectly illustrate the show’s broad comedic appeal.
With more and more people watching and subscribing on YouTube, the 20th season of Taskmaster tried something new: episodes were released at the same time in both the U.K. and the U.S. The show has already been renewed by Channel 4 through 2026, and they’ve even filmed the 21st season, so Alex Horne and Greg Davies are continuing the show’s success. Horne admits they don’t even keep track of how many episodes they’ve made. “Greg and I are often as surprised as the viewers are,” he says. “We quickly move on to the next challenge. Once season 20 is done, we’re already focused on the next ‘group’ of contestants for season 21.”
With over 200 episodes completed and ten years on the air, did you mark the occasion with anything different this season?
Greg Davies: No, we didn’t really discuss doing anything special for the 200th episode. Alex [Horne] and I aren’t really the sentimental type when it comes to milestone numbers.
Alex Horne explains that with each new season of the show, the team aims to improve upon the previous one. However, they avoid highlighting any particular group of contestants as being exceptional. They strive for a balance – maintaining the show’s core elements while also introducing fresh and different aspects, rather than labeling a season as uniquely special.
We didn’t want to offend any of the comedians by implying we didn’t appreciate episode seventeen. Each episode really does feel fresh and different, and the way they react to challenges is always unique.
The season concluded with a rare three-way tie between Ania, Maisie, and Phil. To break the tie, they had to recall how many times the letter ‘T’ appeared in the American Gothic-style portrait of the two of you in the living room. The correct answer was four, but none of them guessed it. Maisie was the closest with a guess of five, which ultimately won her the season. What was the atmosphere in the studio when that happened?
A.H.: It was a strange feeling. It was the finale, but the audience hadn’t been privy to all the details and running jokes throughout the season. We often had to fill them in on things that had happened earlier. However, by episode 10, there’s usually a sense of excitement. We knew the final guesses were close, but we didn’t realize how close. It felt significant, perhaps because it was the 20th series. Mostly, though, it was surprising because Maisie hadn’t performed very well throughout the competition, yet she made it to the top three!
She was really upset, and usually, people who get that angry don’t come out on top.
Phil isn’t naturally competitive, and Ania deserved to be in the top three. It was surprising – and exciting – that three contestants ended up with the exact same score. It left us thinking, ‘Now what?’ We could have used a tie-breaker for an episode, but not for the entire series, as that would make it seem like we were choosing the winner. Thankfully, we’d considered this possibility beforehand, and the solution – having them guess, with some consideration – seemed best. Honestly, I didn’t expect Maisie to win something that required careful thinking.
It’s funny, a big part of what people enjoy about our show is the playful dynamic between Alex and me – some fans even ‘ship’ us, meaning they want us to be a couple! This season it got really meta when Alex brought up fan fiction, and then I made that joke about leaving lube in the park. It’s a tricky balance, acknowledging what the fans are enjoying without making things awkward or crossing a line. Honestly, I think any perceived attraction is all in the eye of the beholder – people read into things! But, I’m not going to say there’s definitely nothing there between Alex and me… maybe there’s something we haven’t even thought about yet. (laughs)
I think our relationship also goes through phases. Sometimes we’re very close and connected, and other times we’re more distant. It’s just a natural part of life, really.
G.D.: It’s like any marriage.
We’re inconsistent in our communication. Greg, we really need to schedule dedicated time to connect and prevent our relationship from fading.
Roxana, I agree – I find this just as interesting as you do. I’m not sure how it started, but we’re definitely enjoying ourselves. If there’s something more to it, we’ll look into it.
A.H.: We feel pretty safe in each other’s company in a comedy way. We know each other pretty well.
Alex feels secure in his marriage and believes it offers stability, thinking things will stay the same. However, I want to point out that change is inevitable.
Alex mentioned that the story of a task really becomes clear after all the contestants have had a turn. He was asked if any task this season had a particularly obvious storyline. He said the ‘Snakes and Steps’ task was easy to follow. It was a complex task, and two-part tasks are difficult for the production team because they require twice the filming. They allowed the contestants to create the game board without knowing what was ahead. It almost went perfectly, with all five contestants potentially finishing quickly, but Reece struggling created a naturally compelling narrative: four contestants succeeding, and Reece facing difficulties. This made it easy to communicate to the editors what they needed to focus on.
Do you have a favorite task from this season?
G.D.: My problem is remembering, isn’t it?
A.H.: Me too. We’ve done another series since. The making-things-awkward task was good.
G.D.: That was great. That was my favorite from the season.
We recently finished a heist movie, and it was released around the same time as news broke about a heist at the Louvre – which I thought was great. I especially enjoy movies that focus on large teams working together.
Andy Devonshire, our director, was incredibly enthusiastic about the heist scene – and that’s high praise, as he generally gets very excited about things! He particularly appreciated how cinematic it looked.
A.H.: Sometimes we literally forget 50 percent of the tasks or more.
That’s me! He’s being nice, actually. I’m the one who needs reminding about our guests. My grandfather tends to get sleepy!
The show brings together five people who clearly have a connection. What makes for a good relationship between the cast members, in your opinion?
G.D.: I’m always surprised by how a group of five people behaves when they’re under pressure. There’s definitely a method to choosing the right cast, but it never quite works out as planned.
We always aim for a mix of personalities. If someone is quiet, we try to pair them with someone more outgoing. We also try to balance age groups, putting older and younger people together. However, it’s not an exact science – you can’t always predict how people will interact. Sometimes someone you expect to be reserved is actually very lively, and sometimes a group that seems friendly turns out to be difficult. We simply strive for diversity, because we’ve learned that no two people are truly alike.
Were you particularly surprised by any of the actors and how they worked together?
A.H.: I think the first series had a really interesting dynamic. The cast immediately created a group chat on WhatsApp and even traveled to Cologne together after filming, which isn’t typical for a TV show.
We anticipated one particular group would be difficult because we expected some strong, confrontational personalities, similar to Julian Clary. However, it turned out to be surprisingly harmonious – everyone quickly bonded and became friendly with each other. This happened during the series hosted by Sue Perkins, which was series 16.
Oh, that segment with Sam Campbell and Julian was definitely a highlight for me! We all noticed Julian came across as a bit reserved on TV, maybe even a little prickly, but honestly, he was the sweetest person you could ever meet behind the scenes. Such a lovely guy!
They spent a lot of time together! Often, these experiences create strong, lasting friendships, which really highlights how impactful and intense that period in their lives was.
We often get asked about how we choose the guests for the show. It’s not a super formal process. Sometimes people reach out to us, which isn’t always the case – Jason Mantzoukas, for example, contacted us directly. Greg and I both have lists of people we think would be great, and we’ll sometimes approach them. We also hear about up-and-coming comedians through word of mouth, and luckily we have friends like Ed Gamble and Tim Key who are really well-connected. It’s a pretty small comedy world, so we know a lot of people. We were actually just talking about Eric Idle and realized we’ve never even asked him to be on the show – we think he’d be fantastic!
Alex and I sometimes make joking comments during interviews that end up causing problems later on. For example, we once said that anyone who asks us to be on the show would be automatically disqualified, and people keep bringing that up! I also jokingly mentioned that Alex has only ever disliked one contestant on Taskmaster, and I’m constantly asked to reveal who it is. But there isn’t anyone – it was just a silly thing to say. And there’s definitely no rule that asking us to be on the show means you can’t be on it. We were just being playful.
You once described Julian and his teammates, Sam and Lucy Beaumont, as “Uncle Julian and the two lunatics,” highlighting how the show often features different generations working together. We frequently see teams with an older member paired with two younger ones, like Sanjeev, Ania, and Phil this season. What makes this mix of ages so important to the show?
Greg Davies: The comedy scene is constantly evolving, with performers from different generations approaching comedy in unique ways. It’s interesting to see how performance styles change over time. If we only had contestants in their twenties, they’d likely be very similar to each other. Having different generations creates more dynamic interactions. I also think a lot of comedy works best when it feels like a family unit – we often end up with a ‘parent’ figure and a dynamic that resembles a broken family. I really enjoy seeing those family-like bonds form between team members.
When forming teams, we usually split the contestants into groups of two and three, though it feels a bit random and unfair. Somehow, it usually balances out – sometimes you get a mix like an uncle paired with two unpredictable people. For example, one team included Ed Gamble, Katy Wix, and Rose Matafeo, who were all around the same age, while another had David Baddiel and Jo Brand, representing different generations. It was fun seeing Brand and Baddiel chatting and having tea together! We try to create different team dynamics each time. Ultimately, team assignments depend on who’s available when. I do try to think about who would work well together, but if someone can’t make the filming schedule, they just get put on whichever team has space.
James Acaster talked about being on Vulture’s Good One podcast and explained that he went into Taskmaster with a plan, but it all fell apart once he arrived. Greg noted that he’s seen this happen with most contestants. The question was raised whether the show even allows for strategy. Alex Horne responded that the show relies on genuine reactions, so extensive planning isn’t helpful. He believes contestants are funnier when they’re being themselves in the moment. Jason had more of a pre-existing plan because he was familiar with the show, but generally, Horne advises contestants to avoid rehearsed jokes or pre-prepared material.
The format of Taskmaster doesn’t let contestants rely on their usual comedic style. They’re too busy dealing with the bizarre tasks, like retrieving ducks from a pond. Alex [Horne] is skilled at throwing people off balance, and I always try to be my comedic self on current events shows. But Taskmaster is different – you have to adapt to the situation. It often reveals unexpected sides to people’s personalities.
Someone asked Alex how he develops tasks, and he explained that he approaches it like writing jokes, drawing on his experience as a stand-up comedian. He’s always noticing interesting things and jotting down ideas on his phone. Then, he takes a couple of days to refine those notes – he used to do this in his hot tub, but now he prefers dog walks. He aims for around 30 individual tasks per season, knowing they’ll be supplemented by team tasks. He also appreciates that even if a task doesn’t quite work, it’s often still amusing, and he’s happy to be the butt of the joke if necessary.
G.D. describes Roxana’s relentless work ethic as almost obsessive – he says it’s like a compulsion. Remarkably, in 20 seasons, Roxana has never once voiced a complaint. G.D. contrasts this with his own experience, admitting he gets incredibly frustrated and destructive when he writes, while Roxana consistently manages to amaze everyone with his ability to keep working.
I’m working on a script where I write the beginning of a joke, and then someone else finishes it with the funny ending.
G.D.: It’s still remarkable. And I’m not one to praise him, as you know.
I was chatting with James, and he mentioned filming five challenges on the very first day. That got me thinking – how long does it usually take for contestants to really settle in and find their rhythm? A.H. explained that day one is wild. Everyone’s a little frantic and on edge. But by day two, they’re ready to go. Interestingly, the producers often give different contestants different tasks on those first two days. It’s a smart move – it avoids that ‘deer in headlights’ look if everyone’s tackling the same thing right off the bat, and lets us see how they adapt.
G.D.: I didn’t actually know that. That’s interesting.
It’s a little bit of a trick, but really they’re just doing the same thing again on a different day.
Greg asked if I’d ever offered to help with a task on the show. When Alex first talked to me about joining, he mentioned I could be on the task team if I wanted. But it quickly became clear he didn’t need my help with that. I’m happy to brainstorm ideas, but I don’t think he requires it.
It’s just my small team and me who really understand all the details of what needs to be done. When someone suggests a task, we usually respond that we’ve already tried it, either successfully or unsuccessfully. I’m confident Greg has great ideas, but we all know what we’re responsible for. It’s a bit strange that Greg doesn’t suggest the tasks he’s expected to handle.
We’ve always liked the concept of me being a hands-off dictator – I simply tell people to create a challenging situation and let them handle the specifics. It actually fits with how many historical dictators operated; they usually didn’t get involved in the minute details.
Taskmaster is known for its excellent editing, which really shapes the story of each task and how the contestants do. A key part of this is that when the show focuses on one contestant’s attempt, it’s usually because they either absolutely nailed it or completely failed.
A.H. explains that the editors are crucial to the show’s success, though they don’t get much credit. They aim to make each montage unique. As soon as five contestants finish a task, editing begins, and each task takes about a week to complete – totaling around 30 weeks of editing. With three editors working continuously, it’s a lot of work, but in a good way. It relies heavily on intuition – figuring out what footage flows well together. They create contrast by pairing talkative contestants with silent ones, treating each task like a short film.
With almost every challenge, we have at least one person completely fall apart, someone who tries to make light of things, and someone who unfairly targets Alex. We end up with tons of footage because the contestants consistently give us so much material to work with during editing.
We create a rough cut of the show, anticipating where the audience will laugh and leaving a small pause after each joke. Then, we refine it further to make sure the timing is just right. It actually goes through more editing than most comedy panel shows to achieve that polished feel.
Sometimes, Greg, it seems like when a contestant tries to explain their side or argue for a different score, you react by firmly sticking to your decision. I’m wondering how much of that is you playing the Taskmaster character.
Greg Davies: If you watch the show from the beginning, you’ll notice the Taskmaster in the studio has changed. I’ve become more lenient over the years, and our dynamic with Alex has shifted too – I’m not as deliberately difficult anymore. In recent seasons, I’ve been willing to be persuaded, whereas earlier on, I’d stubbornly score things exactly as I saw fit. It’s easier to just be the unyielding dictator. Now, it’s more complex because we all understand the game. People appreciate the flexibility. Sometimes, contestants come up with incredibly creative solutions in a team task, and strictly speaking, they should get zero points for missing a small detail. But lately, we’ll often overlook that and reward their effort because it captures the spirit of the task. However, we still reserve the right to make the final decision.
We used to spend more time preparing before our shows, but now we prefer to keep things spontaneous. Greg might have a general idea of what he wants to talk about, but we don’t share our specific plans with each other beforehand – we like to surprise each other and keep it fresh.
I’m honest in my reactions. I don’t come to the show with preconceived notions about the contestants or their performances. Sometimes I’ll review complex videos beforehand just to make sure I don’t miss details during the live show – it wouldn’t be realistic to pretend I’m seeing everything fresh. However, I watch those videos privately and try to avoid forming an opinion until we’re in the studio. There’s something unique about the studio environment that changes how you perceive things. People online often accuse me of being inconsistent or unfairly critical, but that’s not true. I always judge each performance based on what I see in the moment. I’m often wrong, of course, but within the context of the show, my opinions are what matter. It’s a tough job – I have to evaluate multiple improvisations over a two-and-a-half-hour period.
Have you had any contestants with particularly memorable personalities in the studio? I’m thinking of Fatiha El-Ghorri from season 19 jokingly trying to get you to marry her, or Ania this season, with her running joke that you, Greg, are secretly her biological father.
G.D.: Fatiha’s sudden decision that she wanted to marry me happened organically during an episode, and we kept revisiting it. Ania’s idea about the dates adding up to make me her father was a bit disturbing, honestly, but I actually enjoyed the joke. I always appreciate when contestants latch onto something like that.
I really enjoyed Fern Brady and John Kearns on series 14 – they were unpredictable and hilarious. Sam Campbell was also a standout for us. We always appreciate discovering a comedian who brings a completely fresh perspective to the show.
G.D. says the best compliment he’s received in 20 seasons of the show was from Sam Campbell, who simply asked if he was the product of a divorced family.
People often ask if contestants could return for another chance outside of the Tournament of Champions. While many viewers want to see it, doing so can diminish the show’s excitement. Once someone has competed once, they understand the game, and it feels less spontaneous. Bringing back familiar faces also means missing out on introducing new players. However, the possibility isn’t entirely off the table, and we’re exploring ideas for future seasons that might include returning contestants, though details are still being kept under wraps.
Jason was the first contestant from the U.S. to film the show while still living in America, as opposed to an American already living in the U.K. Has his appearance paved the way for more American contestants?
A.H.: We’re definitely open to having more Americans on the show. We aren’t specifically trying to attract American contestants, but it’s possible, and the answer is yes.
G.D.: We love that we’ve got different nations wanting to be part of the madness.
It actually worked to our advantage that Jason wasn’t a huge name in this market. People recognized him – they’d say, “Oh, that guy!” – because he’d been in a lot of projects, but he wasn’t a top-of-mind comedian. If you asked people to name a famous American comedian here, he wouldn’t be the first one they thought of. Still, he was a great starting point for us.
My coworkers asked me to ask you if you’ve ever considered having Matt Berry on the show.
A.H.: He’s on our list of potential guests, and I think he’d be fantastic. We haven’t contacted him yet, but I’m curious if he’d be interested. He has a really strong and unique personality, although I haven’t seen him really showcase that ‘Matt Berry’ persona often.
I was just thinking the same thing! I’d be really interested to see that, because Matt Damon brings such a distinct personality to every role he plays. I’ve met him briefly, but he seemed much more reserved in person than the characters he portrays. It would be fascinating to explore that contrast.
Emma Thompson is a beloved and well-known figure in the UK, and she’s famous for speaking her mind. I think interviewing her would be a really interesting challenge because she naturally carries more presence and authority than I do, so I’d have to really bring my best to the conversation.
I doubt she’d commit to a full season of our show, but getting her for just one episode would be fantastic. She came up around the same time as Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in the Footlights comedy group – anyone from that group would be a real asset.
G.D. thinks Emma would be a good guest on one of their special episodes. However, managing someone as outgoing as Emma would require G.D. to be very firm and assertive – they’d need to take a strict approach.
David Mitchell, whose wife Victoria Coren Mitchell appeared on season 12, has been contacted by us repeatedly.
We’re friends with David, and he was worried about appearing on the show if he wasn’t very good. We can tell him he’d actually be great, and even if he wasn’t, it would be hilarious! I still think he’d be a fantastic addition to the show.
G.D.: He’s one of the people we’ll keep asking.
I think Stavros Halkias is really funny. I recently saw him on a podcast, and there are a lot of people in your country we’d be excited to feature on our show. I’m particularly interested in having Andy Samberg as a guest.
A.H.: I wanted Ali Wong. I think Ali Wong would be terrifying on it. She’s a funny lady.
With Taskmaster now popular in many countries, I’m curious if you watch those international versions. And if you do, have you gained any insights into different countries’ senses of humor?
G.D.: I’ve seen bits and pieces of them, but I don’t watch much more than that. I tend to copy things easily, so if I see a Taskmaster host doing something unique, I’ll quickly start doing it myself!
I haven’t watched a lot of the international versions, to be honest. I prefer to let each country create their show in a way that best suits them, as they understand their own culture better than I do. For example, the Portuguese version is very different from ours – much more extravagant and a long, Saturday night event. Some countries, like those in Scandinavia, are a bit more relaxed about health and safety – Sweden especially tends to be more daring, even involving trains and fire. While you do get a sense of each country’s culture, I think at its heart it’s just a show about people doing things. People often assume it’s very British, but I don’t actually think it is.
Read More
- EUR KRW PREDICTION
- Fan project Bully Online brings multiplayer to the classic Rockstar game
- A Gucci Movie Without Lady Gaga?
- EUR TRY PREDICTION
- Adin Ross claims Megan Thee Stallion’s team used mariachi band to deliver lawsuit
- SUI PREDICTION. SUI cryptocurrency
- APT PREDICTION. APT cryptocurrency
- Nuremberg – Official Trailer
- Kingdom Come Deliverance 2’s best side quest transformed the RPG into medieval LA Noire, and now I wish Henry could keep on solving crimes
- Is Steam down? Loading too long? An error occurred? Valve has some issues with the code right now
2025-11-14 02:00