Taskmaster still excites Alex Horne
Alex Horne has revealed that he isn't bored with 'Taskmaster' as the comedy panel game show returns for a 19th series.
Alex Horne never gets bored of 'Taskmaster'.
The 46-year-old comedian created the comedy panel game show that is now in its 19th series and admits that he never finds working on the programme that sees comedians trying to perform wacky challenges tiresome.
Alex told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the 'Dish from Waitrose' podcast: "I think we're filming series twenty-one at the moment, which is quite a long time – so it's 10 years. And there's not an ounce of me that's bored of it. I really enjoy it.
"So, when the new person walks in for the first time, it's such an exciting thing. Cause everyone's different.
"We've had, you know, 120 comics or whatever. I want people on that I'm excited about how they're gonna (do). Because sometimes I have an idea what they're gonna do, but when somebody does something that surprises me, I'm just so excited."
Alex first came up with the concept for 'Taskmaster' while performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010 and explained that fellow comedian Greg Davies was his "only choice" to take on the titular Taskmaster role – judging the contestants and awarding them points based on how they perform.
The funnyman explained: "Well, personality-wise, it was clear I couldn't host a TV show. I was always gonna not be the host, but always be the assistant, who sort of wields the power really. Unseen.
"And Greg was the only choice. So, I knew Greg before from the standup world. He was just, I mean, I can't imagine anyone else doing that."
Alex is often subject to humiliation by the comics on the Channel 4 show, but is willing to sacrifice his dignity for the sake of quality TV.
He explained: "They know that I'm the one who comes up with the tasks – to put them in these positions.
"So, when Rhod Gilbert, for example, says, 'I want you to take your trousers off and put a candle...'. Between... you know. And it goes through my head thinking, 'Oh, no, Anne's gonna watch this,' my mother-in-law. But also it's good TV. So, you weigh it up and go...
"All the dignity went pretty early. Liza Tarbuck made me sit in a cake with no trousers or pants on – once you've done that, you'll kind of do anything. It changes everything."
'Dish from Waitrose' is available on all podcast providers.
