Yahoo News Taskmaster is back: Meet the new line-up as series 15 begins
A new batch of funny faces compete to earn Greg Davies’ respect
It’s that special time of year once more. No, not Christmas — we’re of course talking about the return of Taskmaster, which starts once more on Channel 4 from Thursday, 30 March at 9pm.
As with all previous editions, this hugely popular game show invites a batch of funny faces to complete a series of deceptively simple and sometimes downright silly tasks, all in order to win points from the show’s all-powerful Taskmaster, Greg Davies.
At his side is his loyal counterpart and task dreamer-upper, (little) Alex Horne, the man responsible for putting top comedians in spots where they’re guaranteed to embarrass themselves.
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But who’s taking part in Taskmaster season 15? Let’s meet this year’s hopefuls…
Frankie Boyle
Glaswegian comic Frankie Boyle joins the show this series as perhaps one of the most unexpected guests to find themselves in the presence of the Taskmaster. In fact, Horne has even admitted that Boyle "sometimes seems surprised that he’s on it as well.”
A frequently controversial voice in the comedy world, fans will no doubt recognize this Scottish stand-up from his multiple appearances on popular panel shows like Mock The Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Would I Lie To You?
He’s also hosted his own shows including Frankie Boyle’s New World Order on the BBC and Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights on Channel 4.
Jenny Eclair
According to hosts Davies and Horne, comedian and novelist Jenny Eclair gets proper stuck into this year’s tasks, with Horne even suggesting that audiences can “really see [her] inner child” emerge while she tries her best to come out on top.
Viewers will no doubt recognize her from BBC Two’s Grumpy Old Women, alongside her appearances on shows like I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Loose Women, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and The Bill.
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She was also a contestant on 2022’s celebrity Christmas edition of The Great Pottery Throw Down and the first woman to win the Perrier Award (now known as Edinburgh Comedy Awards) at 1995’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Mae Martin
Stand-up comedian and actor Mae Martin promises to keep viewers on their toes with their innovative approach to beating Horne’s tricky tasks. Davies has commended Martin for their “forensic approach” while suggesting that it also comes complete with an element of mischief. Intriguing stuff.
Hailing from Canada, audiences may already be familiar with Martin thanks to their Netflix comedy Feel Good which ran for two series and won them a BAFTA nomination in 2021.
More recently, you may have spotted Martin in HBO’s darkly funny drama series The Flight Attendant which was the star’s latest on-screen appearance before entering the Taskmaster house.
Ivo Graham
Touted by Davies as a contestant that willingly “welcomes the chaos,” English comedian and stand-up Ivo Graham looks set to join that ever-growing roster of contestants that make complex missions out of uncomplicated tasks.
He’s frequently appeared on telly in shows like Live at the Apollo, Mock The Week, QI, Richard Osmond’s House of Games. If you haven’t spotted him on any of those, you may have seen him alongside comic Darren Harriott and last year’s Taskmaster player Fern Brady in 2021’s travelogue show British as Folk.
According to Horne, Graham was desperate to win this year’s series. Will his dreams come true? Only time will tell.
Kiell Smith-Bynoe
Comedian and actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe rounds out this year’s series as the show’s fifth contestant, joining his fellow Ghosts co-stars Lolly Adefope, Katy Wix and Charlotte Ritchie who have all played before him.
If you’re not familiar with Smith-Bynoe from Ghosts, you may also recognize him as the entirely uninterested letting agent Dean from Jamie Demetriou’s brilliant Channel 4 comedy series Stath Lets Flats.
Davies has described Smith-Bynoe as being a very competitive player — so from the sounds of it, he’s in it to win it.
Taskmaster series 15 begins on Channel 4 at 9pm on Thursday, 30 March.
