The worst episodes of Taskmaster
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
It's the business end of the series, and time is running out for certain contenders to make their late run to claim Taskmaster Greg's head. Susan Wokoma has excuses when it comes to road sweeping, Julian Clary makes smart use of a fishing rod, Sue Perkins reimagines Botticelli, Sam Campbell collects some coins and Lucy Beaumont asks Taskmaster Greg Davies's assistant Alex Horne to sit on a sled.
- 02
Alex Horne risks raising Greg Davies' hackles with a task in celebration of himself. Steve Pemberton has an expletive-laden row with a bin. Plus: a novel use for a cow's ear.
- 03
Greg Davies returns to set more tasks to a series of celebrity guests. Dara Ó Briain, Fern Brady, John Kearns, Munya Chawawa and Sarah Millican are the noble knights who are hoping to win this elaborate joust to become the 14th Taskmaster champion. In this opening episode, they fumble frozen peas and shout about fish, while Greg's ever-loyal puppy, Alex Horne, lurks furtively in the background.
- 04
Alex Horne sets the five new comics another set of challenges ranging from the cunning to the crackpot, before Greg Davies leads the all-important debrief and score-giving back in the studio. Highlights include Julian Clary finding a former Taskmaster champion hiding behind a door, Susan Wokoma doing something unexpected with mice and fish and Sue Perkins demonstrating her love of portcullises.
- 05
Our five weary contestants compete one last time, in a grand final featuring tiny chairs, giant eggs and a honking Alex Horne. But at the end of it all, who'll lift the legendary Taskmaster trophy?
- 06
Comedian Julian Clary, actress writer and stand-up Lucy Beaumont, award-winning stand-up Sam Campbell, writer and comedian Sue Perkins and actress, writer and director Susan Wokoma battle to win an elaborate joust to become the 16th Taskmaster champion. As usual, Alex Horne helps maintain order amid the chaos, though falls foul of Taskmaster Greg Davies at one point because of peas. Elsewhere, Lucy marvels at a canned blindfold and everyone tries to put a big duck in a lake.
- 07
Sue Perkins makes an extraordinary noise, Julian Clary gets on his hands and knees, and Lucy Beaumont creeps everyone out. Elsewhere, Sam Campbell proves adept at identifying colourful birds, and Susan Wokoma finds unexpected reasons to be grateful for her formal acting training.
- 08
Taskmaster Greg Davies has witnessed many bizarre moments, but this episode ups the ante - from oars for arms to a beatboxing wolf. And why won't Nick Mohammed stop winking?!
- 09
Greg Davies has to find a way to award points after watching Nick Mohammed sheath a water bottle with a sock, Joanne McNally tie a noose for a soft toy, and Steve Pemberton repeatedly express a hankering for pancakes. Meanwhile, Little Alex Horne jots down all the facts and figures as John Robins puts his faith in honey and Sophie Willan attempts to take flight.
- 10
...And Then a Detective Comes in
Jack Dee has a dramatic change of wardrobe, Rosie Jones presents her new baby, Babátúndé Aléshé attaches ducks to his fingers, Andy Zaltzman starts seeing chickens, and Emma Sidi can't stop thinking about Tamzin Outhwaite.
- 11
The continuing challenge sees Reece Shearsmith's hand emerging from inside a bag, Sanjeev Bhaskar rotating around a hill of flour and Maisie Adam's mouth poking through Taskmaster Greg Davies' nose. Meanwhile, Phil Ellis finds something surprising inside a fake fish and Ania Magliano makes a startling revelation. As ever Little Alex Horne does his level best to maintain a little decorum.
- 12
Things become a little strange in the Taskmaster house as Armando Iannucci and Joanna Page contemplate an alien invasion, Joel Dommett joyfully slides socks onto cacti, Kumail Nanjiani is enchanted by smoky bubbles, and Amy Gledhill performs stand-up using items of clothing. Meanwhile, Greg Davies proves that he's a responsible master of his loveable pet, Little Alex Horne.
- 13
Andy Zaltzman, Babátúndé Aléshé, Emma Sidi, Jack Dee and Rosie Jones attempt to impress the Taskmaster by searching for a seal, hurling yoga balls in a theme park, and force-feeding Alex a bowlful of bubblegum.
- 14
Daisy May Cooper flirts with a security guard, Richard Herring is surprised by chickens and Alex Horne wears sparkly high heels while operating heavy machinery.
- 15
Greg Davies has some tricky judging to do when people question the definition of the colour gold and nobody understands a simple egg-shelling task. As usual, Alex Horne offers sterling support to all concerned.
- 16
Joanne McNally, John Robins, Nick Mohammed, Sophie Willan and Steve Pemberton are the formidable five hoping to pass the Taskmaster's muster with their attempts to hunt for patatas, hoopla a gorilla and hug a special friend.
- 17
The contestants are forced to wrangle wild animals, with unpleasant results for Steve Pemberton and Sophie Willan. Plus: pickled onions, and a controversial cardboard tube.
- 18
The contestants are pushed to their limits as they try to pull off a heist, pay dubious homage to their heroes and shout about foodstuffs while wielding a mallet. Phil Ellis does a spot of rewiring, Ania Magliano spews some blue jelly, Sanjeev Bhaskar asks for a comfort break and Maisie Adam squawks like an exotic bird.
- 19
All five competitors remain in with a chance of winning Greg Davies' glittering bonce. Efficient assistant Alex Horne shows off his jockey silks in the weighing room, while Maisie Adam makes sexy use of a feather boa and shin pads. Ania Magliano and Phil Ellis cause calamity with a tower of bricks, Sanjeev Bhaskar watches a croissant float by and Reece Shearsmith pays homage to the dawn of cinema.
- 20
In a departure from the generally friendly tone of the show, Alex Horne and Joel Dommett trade insults across tasks. But name-calling is the least of the Taskmaster's worries as he witnesses Joanna Page doing something startling with a pineapple, Armando Iannucci doing something confusing with a nursery rhyme and Amy Gledhill doing something unexpected with balls of ice. Meanwhile, Kumail Nanjiani reveals something unusual about his body.
- 21
Julian Clary destroys a table, Lucy Beaumont munches on a tree and Sam Campbell gets underneath some lint. Meanwhile, Alex Horne is subjected to a tickling by Susan Wokoma and is verbally insulted by a panpipe-playing Sue Perkins.
- 22
Lucy Beaumont wonders if she should risk flicking a forbidden switch, Julian Clary wonders if he needs more than one pie, while Sue Perkins assesses whether a deer head is preferable to a boundary line. Faced with all this wonderment, Sam Campbell rips off his own head. Alex Horne wonders if Taskmaster Greg Davies will ever respect him as he tries to maintain order amid the chaos.
- 23
Julian Clary, Lucy Beaumont, Sam Campbell, Sue Perkins and Susan Wokoma battle to win an elaborate joust to become the 16th Taskmaster champion. The mystery of the secret task is finally revealed to the baffled cast of comics, before the answers are gathered to some age-old questions - why does everyone keep choosing Sam, why is Sue tossing her head like a lion - and, crucially, who will get to wear the 'Special Hat'?
- 24
Contenders Joanne McNally, John Robins, Nick Mohammed, Sophie Willan and Steve Pemberton continue their quest to be series champion. Steve experiments with G-force, Joanne rocks a traffic cone and Sophie splatters a human pigeon, all of which makes scoring a little tricky for all-powerful Taskmaster Greg Davies. Elsewhere, Nick gets trapped under a bed and John constructs a lengthy homage to Little Alex Horne's hero.
- 25
Reece Shearsmith reacts strangely to insects, Phil Ellis and Maisie Adam are repulsed by olives and Sanjeev Bhaskar remains calm in the face of a team-mate's incompetence. Meanwhile, Taskmaster Greg Davies' loyal assistant Alex Horne regrets giving Ania Magliano access to his phone.
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