Taskmaster returns: can a rom-com star conquer chaos?

The delightfully absurd world of Taskmaster is back, and this time, it’s brought a fresh crop of contenders ready to face Greg Davies’ withering gaze and Alex Horne’s meticulously bizarre challenges. Series 21 promises the usual blend of chaotic ingenuity and spectacular failure, and the lineup this year is particularly intriguing – a mix of established comedians, actors, and presenters all vying for the coveted golden head trophy.

A cast of quirky contenders

Forget your typical reality show fare. Taskmaster thrives on the unexpected, and the new cast certainly delivers. Joining the fray are Joanna Page (best known for her endearing awkwardness in Gavin & Stacey and a fleeting but memorable moment in Love Actually), Joel Dommett (a seasoned comedian and I'm a Celebrity.Get Me Out of Here! runner-up who seemingly trained for this show in the jungle), Amy Gledhill (half of the wonderfully silly comedy duo, The Delightful Sausage), Kumail Nanjiani (yes, that superhero from Eternals), and the satirical heavyweight, Armando Iannucci (the mastermind behind The Thick of It and Veep).

Dommett’s jungle exploits—creating nipple tassels from chicken eggs, no less—already suggest a certain adaptability, a willingness to embrace the ridiculous. But it’s Iannucci’s presence that truly elevates the stakes. The man who has mined political absurdity for years has described the Taskmaster process so far as