Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Brand new Taskmaster contestants announced

18/02/2019

The double BAFTA nominated and Broadcast Award winning UKTV Original series Taskmaster returns to Dave and welcomes a new group of candidates placing themselves at the mercy of Taskmaster tyrant Greg Davies, and the scrutiny of stats keeper and skivvy Little Alex Horne. Daves eighth series of the most competitive and fierce comedy game show on television will air in May.

Risking life, limb, and dignity in the hope of making the Taskmaster proud are: BAFTA winning comedian Iain Stirling (Love Island, Host of Dog Ate My Homework), actor and writer Joe Thomas (Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat), acclaimed stand-up Lou Sanders (8 Out of 10 Cats, Sick of It), comedian and champion quizzer Paul Sinha (The Chase, Tonight At The Palladium), and BAFTA winning actor Sian Gibson (Peter Kays Car Share, Murder On the Blackpool Express). Unaware of what awaits them in each wax sealed envelope, only one competitor can become the victorious owner of His Royal Task-ness golden head and be crowned the next Taskmaster Champion.

Produced by Avalon, Taskmasters viewing figures have increased series on series. The seventh series of the Dave show starring James Acaster, Jessica Knappett, Kerry Godliman, Phil Wang, and Rhod Gilbert was the most successful to date with an average of 1.5 million viewers per episode, increasing by 7% compared to the last series and remains the most watched show on UKTV Play with over 7.4 million views.

__

Taskmaster was crowned Best Entertainment Programme at the Broadcast Awards 2018 (beating Strictly Come Dancing, Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Love Island, The Voice UK, and All Round To Mrs. Browns). Nominations for the show include an International Emmy for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment, two BAFTA nominations for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme, RTS Award, Broadcasting Press Guild Award, and two further nominations at the Broadcast Awards 2019 for Best Entertainment Programme and Best Multichannel Programme.

An international hit, Taskmaster has been sold into 17 countries including original versions of the show being developed for Comedy Central in the U.S. (starring Reggie Watts as the Taskmaster), TV 2 in Denmark, VTM in Belgium, TVE in Spain, and two series on Swedens SVT channel.

Away from the screen, the launch of the Taskmaster Book 200 Extraordinary Tasks for Ordinary People was met with huge popularity, sold over 57K copies following publication, and swiftly rose to join top 20 bestselling hardback books in the UK four days after its release during the competitive Autumn/Winter sales period.

The eighth series of Taskmaster will air on Dave in May, catch up on series 1-7 on UKTV Play #Taskmaster

WHAT THE PRESS HAS SAID ABOUT TASKMASTER Funny, revealing, and glorious...Caitlin Moran once wrote that the comedy panel game is one of the glories of British TV. A new one shone bright last night

*****

Andrew Billen, The Times

The kind of Dave thing that shouldnt quite work but is actually wildly stupid fun. Mainly thanks to Alex Horne, late of so much splendid radio, and Greg Davies...a winner

Euan Ferguson, The Observer

Its glorious mayhem and stupidly funny

David Butcher, Radio Times

Were up to series 7 and its as winning as ever

Sharon Lougher, Metro

Brilliantly madcap comedy game show

****

Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

One of the funniest game shows on TV

****

Natasha Holt, TV Times Magazine

The keynote themes are ludicrous absurdity and moderately cruel sadism. Somehow, however, it all works brilliantly, with the presence of Horne adding the barest modicum of civility to proceedings...prepare for tears of laughter

Mark Wareham, Mail on Sunday, Event Magazine

Taskmaster is an unashamed celebration of the bizarre and the mediocre

Sam Wollaston, G2 Guardian

Never before has anything so absurd, so stupid, so utterly pointless, made such good television

Sara Wallis, Daily Mirror

Inventive

Mike Ward, Saturday Magazine, Daily Express

The funniest show on telly

The Sun, TV Magazine

Creative Chaos

Emma Messenger, TV Choice

This seems to be a series that really brings families together

Bruce Dessau, Beyond the Joke

Splendidly silly

Sunday Times, Culture

Clever

David Stephenson, Sunday Express, S Magazine

The show routinely delivers the funniest, most unexpected comedy of the TV week...The cleverest spin on the panel show format in years, its must-watch TV

Wesley Mead, Den of Geek

For more information and press tickets, please contact: Gem Pinkney gem.pinkney@uktv.co.uk

About Dave

@davechannel

Sky 155, Freeview 17, BT & TalkTalk 17, Freesat 160 On demand on Sky and UKTV Play

Since bursting onto TV sets in 2007, Dave has been putting in hours at the gym and is now a beefed-up powerhouse of brand new and original commissions from some of the biggest stars and production companies in entertainment. Romesh Ranganthan, Jon Richardson and YouTube sensation Yianni Charalambous are just some of the latest additions to the channels ever-increasing slate.

Whether its innovative comedy entertainment like the BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Taskmaster, Unspun with Matt Forde, and Dara o Briains Go 8 Bit or scripted sitcoms including the worldwide hit Red Dwarf, Zapped, and Porters, Daves guaranteed to work your funny bone like never before.

Daves also committed to bringing live sport back to free-to-air and has an ongoing deal to show fights from David Hayes Hayemaker Ringstar venture. Theres also Red Bull Soapbox, Cop Car Workshop, Sin City Motors and a whole host of much loved programming, all shot with Daves unique personality thats led to the channel reaching 20million adults a month.

About UKTV

UKTV is a commercial broadcaster reaching nearly 40m viewers every month.

The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Go
LINK: https://corporate.uktv.co.uk/news/article/brand-new-taskmaster-contest...
See more stories from uktv

Most recent headlines

27/11/2025

Vizrt Launches Viz One 8.1 With AI-Powered Features

LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...

27/11/2025

Prime Video Debuts AI-Powered Video Recaps

Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...

27/11/2025

Tonight on RT Prime Time, serious child protection concerns emerge over online gaming platform, Roblox

Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...

27/11/2025

The Ultimate Black Friday Deal Is Here

Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...

26/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Featuring NFL, NBA, and Golf

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...

26/11/2025

Inside the Archives: Winter Is in the Air and in Our Festival Films

A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...

26/11/2025

10 Book Podcasts You Can't Miss

Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...

26/11/2025

JioStar and Nielsen Unveil Breakthrough Cross-Screen MeasurementStudy, Redefining Advertising Effectiveness in Live Sports

Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...

26/11/2025

ITN Deploys IP-Based Production Control Room

LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....

26/11/2025

YouTube TV, TelevisaUnivision End Lengthy Blackout

MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...

26/11/2025

OpenDrives Bridges the Gap Between IT and Creatives with...

OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...

26/11/2025

Disguise to Showcase Future of Event Visuals at LDI 2025

Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...

26/11/2025

HighField AI Expands Global Channel Partner Network to Ac...

HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...

26/11/2025

Mono Streaming selects PlayBox Neo to manage English Prem...

As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...

26/11/2025

Bell Centre arena in Montreal elevates fan experience wit...

Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...

26/11/2025

Vizrt launches AI-powered advances for speed and accuracy...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...

26/11/2025

ITN Launches Low-Latency IP Control Room Powered by Teche...

ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...

26/11/2025

Ikegami Maintains Initiative in Broadcast Systems Develop...

Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...

26/11/2025

Fubo, NBCUniversal Trade Barbs in Carriage Dispute

Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....

26/11/2025

Global Sports Rights Spending to Top $78 Billion in 2030

LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...

26/11/2025

Vubiquity Earns AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status

LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...

26/11/2025

Comcast Pays $1.5 Million to Settle FCC Data Breach Probe

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...

26/11/2025

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...

26/11/2025

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for Sustainability

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025 YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...

26/11/2025

Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Horse Film Festival, Launches New Talent and Storytelling Initiatives

Back to All News Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...

25/11/2025

Tracy Bonareri Onchoke: Winner, Young Journalist Award 2025

Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025. The 26-year-old-sele...

25/11/2025

SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES Network

SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...

25/11/2025

Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, Cost-Effective Alternatives

Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...

25/11/2025

Analysis: Is Baller League Really the Future of Sport?

Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10 Print This Story With KSI on...

25/11/2025

Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale Events with SOS Global

Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...

25/11/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports Workshop

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story Highlig...

25/11/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of the CDN and Prioritizing Throughput

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...

25/11/2025

Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as the Primary Angle and More Madden Elements

Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...

25/11/2025

Sauna Is an Intimate Exploration of Queer Love and Identity

Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...

25/11/2025

5 Reasons to Try Spotify Premium This Holiday Season

The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...

25/11/2025

New Study Reveals Australians Love Discovering New Music

Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...

25/11/2025

Why Use a SIM Card With The SNYPER-5G

Applicable Products Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...

25/11/2025

Lionsgate and Nielsen expand partnership to deliver first-ever combined FAST channel and digital network measurement

Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...

25/11/2025

AP Switches to DaVinci Resolve Studio for Global News Production

FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....

25/11/2025

Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris Pineyro

Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...

25/11/2025

Traditional TV Players Gained Viewers in October: Nielsen Gauge

NEW YORK NFL and college football coverage, the MLB postseason and the new fall broadcast-TV season contributed to major gains for traditional media companies a...

25/11/2025

Tower Products CEO Jim Veltrie to Retire Dec. 30

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Tower Products, a manufacturer and distributor of pro video and audio equipment here, said President and CEO Jim Veltrie will retire from the c...

25/11/2025

Sinclair Makes Unsolicited Bid to Buy Scripps at $7 a Share

Following last week's disclosure that it had acquired a 8.2% stake in E.W. Scripps, Sinclair has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission pr...

25/11/2025

VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM Training and Local-Language Agentic Services Across VEON Markets

25 Nov 2025 VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM...

25/11/2025

UKTV acquires three shows from Paramount Global Content Distribution for U, U&W and U&alibi

UKTV has acquired a high-profile slate of US dramas from Paramount Global Conten...

25/11/2025

Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany and Gabrielle Creevy star in a spectacular five-part event series Amadeus: Full Trailer Released

A symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance, boldly reimagined from Peter Shaffe...

25/11/2025

Bradford Young named 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards Jury President'

Article courtesy of Cinematography World Read the article FilmLight has finalised the prestigious 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning...

25/11/2025

Correccin de color en Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo

Article courtesy of Prensario Read the article La serie fue dirigida por Juli n de Tavira, Rodrigo Santos, y David Leche Ruiz, con direcci n de fotograf a a...