Five minutes with… Alex Horne
As hit Channel 4 comedy show Taskmaster returns for series 11, we discover what to expect from comedian and Taskmaster creator Alex Horne.
HIT Channel 4 show Taskmaster proved to be just the comic remedy the nation needed in the midst of a global pandemic.
A show initially conceived at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Taskmaster rapidly garnered a cult following, built upon the simple premise of comedians making complete and utter fools of themselves through the medium of improvised comedy.
Returning to our screens for an 11th series, the latest instalment brings with it a new line-up of comedy talent, as five renowned names battle it out to complete gloriously simple tasks in the most creative ways possible.
Hosted by comedian Greg Davies, 52, alongside the Taskmaster’s loyal assistant, writer and comedian Alex Horne, 42, the series 11 line-up features Not Going Out star Lee Mack, stand-up hero Jamali Maddix, Ghosts actor Charlotte Ritchie, Man Down’s Mike Wozniak, and Bafta-nominated actor and comedian Sarah Kendall.
Ahead of the new series returning to our screens, we discover more from Taskmaster creator Alex Horne.
Filming series 11 must have been a great excuse to
leave the house during lockdown?
It was also our social life really, because we weren’t allowed to meet anyone. Getting together in the studio was the one chance to chat. So, it was a really fun atmosphere and if you’ve got someone like Lee Mack in there, it’s always going to be funny, I suppose. He’s so quick-witted. And it makes everyone raise their game a bit.
Do you feel the pressure when it comes to selecting the line-up of comedians?
I always feel slightly anxious when you say goodbye to the last set of contestants and everyone’s got to really love them and now there’s a new five that have got to impress. I think this lot settles in straight away, so I think the fact Lee’s there, wearing an Evel Knievel outfit, doing a task, means you’re automatically invested. And the other four, whether you know them or not, are really, really funny and competitive people.
There’s an awful lot of facial hair involved in that line-up, isn’t there? Especially Mike Wozniak.
Yeah, I think Mike might be our first moustache. It’s a great one. I don’t want to give anything away but Mike has a hair moment late in the series that will go down in Taskmaster history – but I can’t say any more than that. And you’re right, Jamali Maddix’s look is very strong. But then, Sarah Kendall’s hair I am so jealous of, there’s so much of it. It’s incredible. She’s got the best hair I’ve ever seen.
Did any of the comedians surprise you?
Yes, Charlotte Ritchie is an idiot. I really love her, she was great, she really made me laugh a lot, but she was very bad at some of the tasks. Jamali went in there and most of the time he opened the task and did the thing – he wasn’t fazed by much. Whereas Charlotte, she went into a different place in her brain and she panicked. Lee quite often overstretched himself thinking, ‘I’m a bloke, I can do this’ and then couldn’t. And that’s always quite gratifying to see.
This will be the second series of Taskmaster filmed during the pandemic; is it strange shooting without an audience?
It was nice because we knew it worked this time and we knew – I’m not saying it was more fun, but just as fun, because we didn’t have to worry about the 200 people in the room, you know? We could just try and make each other laugh.
Do socially distanced tasks bring with them an added challenge?
I mean, if you watch an old episode of ours, people are sat on top of each other. It’s so mad, it looks so reckless.
We have filmed in a big open space this series – you’ll see, a big airport hangar, which was great because it meant there was a bit more scale to it and a bit more epic. Plus, it’s easier social distancing wise… They can’t touch each other but two metres is fine, we’re so used to it now, we’re so used to seeing it.
What kind of tasks can we expect from series 11?
I think it’s a good mix. You’ve got simple ones like there’s a big rat and you’ve got to catch it in the best way, that’s a nice simple one. Then you’ve got some really complicated ones where you’ve got to do something with one hand while the other hand is under the table – something like that. It’s a good mix, I think.
Taskmaster returns to Channel 4 at 21.00 on Thursday March 18.