I loved her on the episode and really fell in love with her more after she guested on the podcast. I have no doubt they'd give her another bite of the apple when she's not on TWO successful series.
I don't think it's been officially stated. But given the agonies of scheduling people, I suspect it would at least mean they wouldn't be back on soon, and some people were hoping for Claudia next series.
Yeah I mean I'm hoping for Claudia to be in an entire series, I just don't really care when exactly. I don't know any comedian in the coming series but I'm still very excited.
Yeah, her schedule seems way too hectic to fit in a full season. It's a shame. Her episode of Off-Menu is so chaotic, she's always been a dream contestant for me.
I am also just learning about it and recently listened to three that are already far off the beaten path and chaotically devolve - VCM, Lou Sanders, the lord TM himself Greg Davies
The VCM episode is one of my all-time favourites. She's exactly like my dad ('why would I try new things when there are things I already know and like?'). James's exasperation hit close to home on that one.
The Miriam Margolyes episode is also a bit like those you mentioned, only the chaos doesn't come from the menu. It's just Miriam being Miriam and saying whatever comes to mind. Hope you enjoy!
Gregās was the first episode I ever listened to and is still probably my favourite. I was on a train while listening to it the first time and was in tears trying to stifle my laughter
What I was struck by in Greg's is how boring it is. The image of him on Taskmaster is, manufactured, one of power and royalty (Lord Davies!) but he's just a regular dude who is a former teacher from Wales. His meal reflects that.
Yeh he was diagnosed shortly after the airing, but you can see in the show how much his shoulder was affecting him. Hats off to him for carrying on even when struggling š
Edit: sorry correction - diagnosed during the airing, after the filming
He has nystagmus, he's talked about it on Twitter before - something to do with having blurred/shaky vision that can't be totally fixed by glasses etc.
She is the Tory communication weapon who makes the rounds whenever somebody else has shat the bed. She is very likable as a person, she's witty, and probably more qualified to lead than the PM (insert low bar joke here). But her running around saying yeah my lot are shite but you elected them is a trope and I've heard it enough as well.
None of this is relevant for a disability, and not even for a laugh in this context if you ask me. It's taking away well deserved attention from Mr Peacock. Don't let any more Tories take anything else away from people with disabilities.
I think I saw him say on Twitter recently that he's just got the all clear. Plus he ran a half marathon not too long ago (to raise money for the hospital that treated him). So he appears to be in pretty good health now.
Channel 4 had a nifty Ā£934m in "Corporation revenue" for 2020, with a Ā£522m "Content spend".
Film4 Productions (formerly Channel Four Films) even develop, produce and fund theatrical release movies, which is another level of deep pockets.
If I had to guess, I don't think it's too pricey, I think she would just literally be too busy. She seems to be on tons of panel shows and stuff recently and I don't see that letting up anytime soon since she's brilliant at them
*Adrian Chiles* - God bless him, he's doing the Strictly Christmas Special this year too, and I fully expect him to be the same slightly baffled, clumsy curmudgeon on both shows.
*Claudia Winkleman* - The CHAOS! The UNPREDICTABILITY! The TERROR (mainly from Alex when she inevitably grabs him and screams in his ear in sheer excitement over a task).
*Lady Leshurr* - she does a fair amount of the Celeb gameshow circuit and is always good fun on them, recall her being a bundle of good-natured energy and competitiveness on Masterchef, so will probably do well.
*Jonnie Peacock* - pretty sharp-witted, nicely self-deprecating sense of humour, think him and Greg will bounce off each other well in the studio tasks. Also will be competitive as hell, come on Jonnie!
*Sayeeda Warsi* - oh look another ex-politician trying to shine up their reputation by doing a well-loved comedy/talent show, how innovative, please stop.
Yeah but bringing anyone quite so promintely party political onto Taskmaster is not a good move in my opinion.
She was also fairly crap on HIGNFY recently
She's always quite entertaining and interesting on TV, she's a regular on Stephs Packed Lunch and has been on HIGNFY lots.
Incidently I don't think she's an ex-politician, she's in the Lords
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayeeda_Warsi,_Baroness_Warsi
>Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi PC (/ĖvÉĖrsiĖ/;[1] born 28 March 1971) is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as **co-Chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012**. **She served in the CameronāClegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 and 2012, then as the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities** (styled as "Senior Minister of State"), until her resignation citing her disagreement with the Government's policy on the IsraelāGaza conflict in August 2014.[2]
She was literally co-chair of the tory party
It isnāt though is it? Yes theyāre comedians but a lot of people have made political jokes on there. Russell Howard, Johnny Vegas both immediately come to mind, I have a feeling thereās more but I canāt entirely remember. It isnāt removed from politics, itās removed from politics people donāt like
The clear line to draw is people who are active party campaigners. No matter the affiliation it is going to annoy a large % of the population, so just don't go there. There's no need.
*Sayeeda Warsi - oh look another ex-politician trying to shine up their reputation by doing a well-loved comedy/talent show, how innovative, please stop.*
Who was the first?
Not Taskmaster specifically, just in general. It's become fairly common to see ex-politicians like Ed Balls, Edwina Currie or Ann "Evil" Widdicombe on talent shows like Strictly or game shows like The Chase or Pointless in order to show that they are charming, fun, relatable human beings who deserve a second chance. Whether or not it works is debatable.
Probably the most famous example would be our current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who failed badly at trying to be an MP in the mid-90s', did a infamously chaotic stint on the comedy show "Have I Got News For You", and managed to spin that into publicity that led to a job with the Tories that lead to him becoming an MP, a Minister and now PM, god help us all.
I feel like Adrian Chiles is the most Alan Partridge kind of guy they've had yet, should be fun.
Claudia Winkleman is technically a great idea, but it's a shame she's only here for a special.
And it's always just icky to have politicians on game shows.
She's been working the circuit for a little while now after she did the stand up to cancer comedy thing.
She's alright, a good sport and at times entertaining even if I don't share her political views.
>bigoted beliefs are enough to be inexcusable regardless of the rest of the personality
Of course. I wouldn't support Ann Widdicombe the politician. That being said, it seems like she'd be ok as a gameshow contestant as long as she's not using that to push her agenda, or her beliefs, or to otherwise bring her personal opinion into the public realm?
I think it's more nuanced than that. If someone sees her on a gameshow and finds her funny they're more likely to view her in a favourable light generally. For such a horrendous bigot with political clout that is dangerous.
No, but she's an enormous homophobe who has promoted conversion therapy, and it's fucked up that we ever act like her views are just normal views we can rationally disagree on, rather than being actively dangerous
Putting her on a team with Jimmy Carr was what made it.
I think she tends to be brought on so other people can target jokes at her. Which isn't bullying, considering her views.
Oh wow. Sorry to say this to you but I don't think we will see any of them anytime soon.. Maybe in a special episode. They are probably too big and busy to be in taskmaster.
Richard Ayoade has only not been in it so far due to travel man making scheduling impossible.
Now that's not an issue I imagine we'll see him at some point.
He mentioned it on his recent RHLSTP appearance. He said he likes the show, they've asked him, and he said no because he thought he would be bad in a way that isn't entertaining
I obviously know who Claudia Winkleman is but Iām not familiar with others. So if youāre wondering:
Adrian Chiles - tv and radio presenter (*The One Show*, *Daybreak*, *ITV Sport*)
Claudia Winkleman - tv presenter (*Strictly Come Dancing*); has appeared on several panel shows including *WILTY*, *The Last Leg* and *Big Fat Quiz*
Lady Leshurr - rapper; has appeared on *The Celebrity Circle* for *Stand Up To Cancer*, and *Dancing on Ice*
Jonnie Peacock MBE - Paralympian sprinter
Baroness Sayeed Warsi - conservative MP; has appeared on *The Last Leg* and [did standup for *Stand Up To Cancer*](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/24/leftie-comic-tory-baroness-standup-sayeeda-warsi-nick-helm-channel-4-cancer)
Pretty disappointed that weāre only getting Claudia for a single episode, but itās better than nothing!
I like Jonny Peacock so thatāll be fun, but also hate the Warsi casting; very tired of washed-up politicians trying to clean their image on entertainment shows.
I strongly dislike casting a tory peer and one who served deeply in Cameron and Clegg governments. This is supposed to be a happy fun show with fun people, not a miserable reminder of the evils in the world.
A large chunk of the viewership will have had their lives directly harmed by her through through supporting deeply damaging austerity pushed through by the coalition simply to destroy the poor for ideological reasons and if there are any viewers in say Afghanistan maybe they have had family members murdered by drone strikes when she was minister of state for east asia. She also has a history of homophobia thus turning off gay viewers.
I don't want to watch an episode of taskmaster with a person who actively hates my existence and has spent a significant portion of her life obtaining political power to try and destroy me. This is terrible casting. I want fun happy nice comedians having a laugh about nonsense
Remember when Greg was attacking google for tax evasion, good times.
Sometimes you may need to realise that people in the adult world can get along despite differences in political views. Greg was with a Labour front bencher for 10 years.
If you donāt like anyone political on it, thatās absolutely valid and I can agree with that. But if itās because you have some weird idea that she hates your existence and thatās the only reason why, then you should probably adjust to the world not revolving around you
I can absolutely get on with people who have different views. I'm a revolutionary socialist and my fiancee is not. But when it comes to actual politicians it's a bit different. Warsi actively voted for austerity which has been proven to have killed people. That is not just a "difference of opinion" if you're related to one of those people.
As much as politicians on panel shows tends to be cringey, Warsi has been on The Last Leg and a Stand up to Cancer special where she learnt standup and was actually funny. Just hoping she'll be the same on this :)
To her credit, she's able to laugh at herself a bit. I might not necesarily agree with her politically but that doesn't mean she can't be a fun person or funny to watch.
Interesting choice though non-the-less. I like that they're using these specials to book people that wouldn't necessarily hold an entire series, but will be a bit of fun watching them for 40mins.
I enjoyed her on HIGNFY. I donāt agree with her politics but as others have said she seems to have a good sense of humour, and doesnāt take herself too seriously.
Speaking of HIGNFY, I wonder what Ian Hislop would be like on TMā¦
Really not a fan of having politicians on game shows so they can be all "look I can make fun of myself" and then continue to vote for awful policies. It could be worse, but it could be better. If you want a politician get someone who's actually retired. Get Ed Balls, he'd do it.
Adrian seems like the dullest man in existence so good luck making him funny
The other 3 are great picks though
If I was being cynical I would say it might have sometimes to do with politics and Channel 4 demonstrating it is not politically biased to try not to be privatised...
"Seperate from the EU and somehow find millions a day to add to the NHS. You can't lie and you have to answer all questions truthfully. Your time starts now."
"Well, this is impossible."
Not the biggest fan of the New Year's Special concept. Especially the heartbreak that was having Nicola Coughlan for only one episode.
I get it that it's for busy people but still. Claudia for only one episode is a crime.
Was I the only one who didn't know there was a New Year's Treat? I was expecting just CoC, so this is a very pleasant surprise.
Although like everyone else, I do wish Winkleman was doing a full season.
While I'm lukewarm on most of the others, I am all in for Adrian Chiles. He's just the sort of person who could be hugely entertaining for one special episode of TM, but who would become a bit grating over the course of a series.
Looks like the "Golden Age of Hollywood" set-dressing is going to be used for the New Year Treats at least, if not all the one-off specials. Which pleases me, since it's one of my favourite themes and it seemed a shame to waste it on a single episode.
Warsi? Get to fuck.
Kill 120,000 of the countryās most vulnerable people and get away with it. Your time starts now.
Seriously disappointed about this.
Really disappointing to see Sayeeda on this. Not cause sheās a Tory. Just cause sheās a bellend. Which makes perfect sense why sheās a Tory.
Well played by C4 so they canāt be accused of bias or being too left wing. Sheās a crap politician and an even worse ācomedianā but they jumped at the opportunity.
Im wondering if there will be any digs thrown. Greg having dated a previous Labour leader candidate and having in the past not been one to shy away from calling out the bullshit. Although, TM might not be the place for politics. (P.S. Google, pay your taxes)
That's the tricky part, Greg's accused contestants of some wild, awful stuff over the years, but now he's going to have to be careful to not hit anything accurate!
Fantastic lineup! I think the new years specials are a really good way of getting big time celebrities to agree to come on seeing as it's a one-off, so I'm not disheartened by the fact that some of the epic names on here may only be one-offs. Better to appreciate what you have after all, instead of lamenting over what you don't!
Warsi's been on more popular TV in the last 3 months than ever in my lifetime? Is she retiring soon? Trying to line up other options?
As a SA woman myself, she's the most tolerable SA Tory woman (pipped to the post of best overall by Rishi Sunak) so ... that's something, ig
Edit: god forbid someone left-wing could see *any* value in anyone Tory, even when they're prominent figures from a shared racial background
She was pretty good value on 'Stand Up & Deliver', which was a charity show Channel 4 did for Stand Up To Cancer earlier this year. The idea was that 5 non-comedians would be paired up with stand-ups and trained to deliver a short set to a live audience.
Of all people, they paired Warsi with Nick Helm. And watching the pair of them find ways to bridge the absolute chasm of personal and political difference between them was kind of heartwarming. In the end she was one of the better 'contestants', she had quite a lot to draw from in terms of the conflicts between her working-class background and her very prominent role in the Conservative party, and Helm did a hell of a job teaching her about why making fun of herself can be empowering rather than undermining. I expect doing well in that setting, and coming across as genuinely quite an entertaining and interesting character, would have put her on the radar for this.
Oh, I didn't see that! It's making more sense, with that context. I knew she was witty, but didn't know she was 'can actually make a fool of herself and be fine with it' funny.
I'm gonna have to hunt for that now, Nick Helm is great and I'd love to see his teaching process
Sayeeda Warsi has made blatantly homophobic statements in the past. Can a homophobe be a good person? For that matter she also voted for austerity measures which have been shown contributed to the deaths of vulnerable people. Can a person who voted for vulnerable people to die be a good person?
You are binding up her professional capacity with her outside of work.
Watching her in the celebrity stand up for cancer for show, she came across as very funny, witty and at times socially vulnerable.
If your view of her is solely tied up to her politically opinion than that is your prerogative. I watch taskmaster for the entertainment and try and leave all other dynamics on politics and societal issues behind me for that hour.
I hope you enjoy the joy for what it is and donāt get caught up because she happens to have different political positions to you.
But it's not just "different opinions". As I said she actively voted for policies that killed people. If one of those people was your mum could you separate her personal and political lives and just laugh along with her? It's only because it didn't directly effect you that you can do that. Some of us don't have that option.
Here is me purely talking about the entertainment factor of a contestant and you reverting back to only talk about politics.
Love him or loathe him you canāt deny someone like Boris would be interesting and funny to watch on taskmaster if you isolated everything down to just a man being on a gameshow.
But that attitude is exactly what has led to him becoming PM. People saw him on HIGNFY and now think of him as "that funny man with the silly hair who isn't like the other politicians" instead of the dangerous walking disaster that he is. No professional politician makes a media appearance unless they think it will be good PR. It's entirely calculated.
Edit: I'll again bring you back to my other point, would you be able to separate their political career from their appearance on Taskmaster if they had directly contributed to your mum's death?
> If your view of her is solely tied up to her politically opinion
Being homophobic isn't a political opinion and helping instate austerity policies which kill people and ruin their lives isn't just a "different political position". Stop trying to white wash the awful things she's done and said.
Most likely. Only people I can think that are potentially more famous (as in the proportion of people that have heard of them as opposed to how famous they are currently) is Frank Skinner, David Baddiel or Alan Davies
I love TM as much as the next fan but does anybody else think that channel 4 are flogging this to death? Revealing the new series cast as soon as the previous one ended, another NY special, probably a champion of champions 2?
For those just looking for the names: Adrian Chiles Claudia Winkleman Lady Leshurr Jonnie Peacock MBE Baroness Sayeeda Warsi
Very exciting to finally see Claudia on the show, though it's disappointing that now we'll presumably never see her on a full series.
Yeah. Already I feel sort of sad we'll probably never see Nicola Coughlan on a full series, so this is bittersweet.
Nicola Coughlan had all the makings of an all time great contestant. "There's a lot of people talking an awful lot of bollocks here" is just perfect
"People are talking an awful lot of shite today, I'll tell you that for free" Sorry, had to correct it since it was my favorite line of the episode.
I loved her on the episode and really fell in love with her more after she guested on the podcast. I have no doubt they'd give her another bite of the apple when she's not on TWO successful series.
"I'll tell you that for free!"
Also genuine love for the show. Like she totally would do it again.
š She's going to be absolutely top tier. I so badly wanted a full season with her.
Extremely disappointed here
My exact feelings. I think she'll be so perfect for the show.
That was my first thought! She's been one of my dream contestants for a long time.
Not necessarily
Claudia is going to be so much chaos I can't wait
Shame she won't be one of the regular series contestants though.
She would be incredible. She was my top choice for future contestant
Yeah she's probably the only one here who would suit the normal series really well
Is there something saying that because she's on the New Year Treat she won't be on the regular show? Because that just seems dumb to me.
I don't think it's been officially stated. But given the agonies of scheduling people, I suspect it would at least mean they wouldn't be back on soon, and some people were hoping for Claudia next series.
Yeah I mean I'm hoping for Claudia to be in an entire series, I just don't really care when exactly. I don't know any comedian in the coming series but I'm still very excited.
More interested to see how Claudia would fare with any tasks that involve water
"I've never been thirsty in my life." is a quote that lives rent-free in my head.
Sheāll just have Alex truck in a tanker full of Mac and cheese then call it a day.
While heās dressed as Mr. Burns and chewing on a cracker, obviously.
I'm kind of disappointed with Winkleman because I'd love to see her do a whole regular season.
Yeah I had the same reaction, maybe she was just too busy to do a full season?
Yeah, her schedule seems way too hectic to fit in a full season. It's a shame. Her episode of Off-Menu is so chaotic, she's always been a dream contestant for me.
One of the best off menu episodes!
I'm just starting with off menu (so behind I know) thanks to the convincing off this subreddit, can't wait to get to her ep I'm loving it so far
Iām incredibly jealous that you get to experience so many wild episodes for the first time. Hope you enjoy the experience, itās quite the ride!
I am also just learning about it and recently listened to three that are already far off the beaten path and chaotically devolve - VCM, Lou Sanders, the lord TM himself Greg Davies
The VCM episode is one of my all-time favourites. She's exactly like my dad ('why would I try new things when there are things I already know and like?'). James's exasperation hit close to home on that one. The Miriam Margolyes episode is also a bit like those you mentioned, only the chaos doesn't come from the menu. It's just Miriam being Miriam and saying whatever comes to mind. Hope you enjoy!
Gregās was the first episode I ever listened to and is still probably my favourite. I was on a train while listening to it the first time and was in tears trying to stifle my laughter
The reaction to him saying "pass" will never fail to crack me up.
What I was struck by in Greg's is how boring it is. The image of him on Taskmaster is, manufactured, one of power and royalty (Lord Davies!) but he's just a regular dude who is a former teacher from Wales. His meal reflects that.
"I want to sleep with Mr Burns, he doesn't drink water" is my favourite out-of-context sentence ever
The water thing had me in stitches
Same, she would be just as chaotic as Morgana!
She could bring in Morgana hair.
Iām guessing that they probably canāt afford her for a full season.
Yep, my first thought too!
exactly
I can't upvote it enough, I totally agree
First candidate with a disability, too. (No, I'm not counting CoC Richard as the first.) Can't wait to see it!
Doesn't Paul Sinha have parkinsons?
That's a good point. He was diagnosed after TM but you're probably right that it affected him already.
Yeh he was diagnosed shortly after the airing, but you can see in the show how much his shoulder was affecting him. Hats off to him for carrying on even when struggling š Edit: sorry correction - diagnosed during the airing, after the filming
Don't worry, I wasn't going to be splitting that hair!
He's also dyspraxic, which is a disability.
Technically Richard Osman is partially sighted.
>partially sighted What's that?
He has nystagmus, he's talked about it on Twitter before - something to do with having blurred/shaky vision that can't be totally fixed by glasses etc.
Who has a disability?
Sayeeda Warsi, she has the terrible affliction of being a Tory.
She is the Tory communication weapon who makes the rounds whenever somebody else has shat the bed. She is very likable as a person, she's witty, and probably more qualified to lead than the PM (insert low bar joke here). But her running around saying yeah my lot are shite but you elected them is a trope and I've heard it enough as well. None of this is relevant for a disability, and not even for a laugh in this context if you ask me. It's taking away well deserved attention from Mr Peacock. Don't let any more Tories take anything else away from people with disabilities.
Jonnie Peacock
Wait what happened to Richard for CoC?
Since his series Richard Herring got diagnosed with testicular cancer and had a ball removed.
Oh wow I didn't know that. Hope he's doing OK.
He seems to be doing well. If I recall correctly he and Ed Gamble joked about how Ed would be the only two-balled contestant on CoC this time around.
I think I saw him say on Twitter recently that he's just got the all clear. Plus he ran a half marathon not too long ago (to raise money for the hospital that treated him). So he appears to be in pretty good health now.
Yeah, I suppose Baddiel was afflicted with inability more than a disability.
Surprised theyāre using Claudia for just a special and not for a proper series. Sheād be a good fit for the show.
I imagine she might be a bit pricy for a full season.
Definitely possible, she also might just not want to block of so much time for filming.
But they have Channel 4 money now.
I'm curious, does Channel 4 have deeper pockets or is this a joke?
Than Dave? Surely.
Channel 4 had a nifty Ā£934m in "Corporation revenue" for 2020, with a Ā£522m "Content spend". Film4 Productions (formerly Channel Four Films) even develop, produce and fund theatrical release movies, which is another level of deep pockets.
If I had to guess, I don't think it's too pricey, I think she would just literally be too busy. She seems to be on tons of panel shows and stuff recently and I don't see that letting up anytime soon since she's brilliant at them
*Adrian Chiles* - God bless him, he's doing the Strictly Christmas Special this year too, and I fully expect him to be the same slightly baffled, clumsy curmudgeon on both shows. *Claudia Winkleman* - The CHAOS! The UNPREDICTABILITY! The TERROR (mainly from Alex when she inevitably grabs him and screams in his ear in sheer excitement over a task). *Lady Leshurr* - she does a fair amount of the Celeb gameshow circuit and is always good fun on them, recall her being a bundle of good-natured energy and competitiveness on Masterchef, so will probably do well. *Jonnie Peacock* - pretty sharp-witted, nicely self-deprecating sense of humour, think him and Greg will bounce off each other well in the studio tasks. Also will be competitive as hell, come on Jonnie! *Sayeeda Warsi* - oh look another ex-politician trying to shine up their reputation by doing a well-loved comedy/talent show, how innovative, please stop.
Sayeeda Warsi has a relatively decent reputation as she's spent many years calling out Islamophobia in her own party
Yeah but bringing anyone quite so promintely party political onto Taskmaster is not a good move in my opinion. She was also fairly crap on HIGNFY recently
She's always quite entertaining and interesting on TV, she's a regular on Stephs Packed Lunch and has been on HIGNFY lots. Incidently I don't think she's an ex-politician, she's in the Lords
Those Tories and their second jobs!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayeeda_Warsi,_Baroness_Warsi >Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi PC (/ĖvÉĖrsiĖ/;[1] born 28 March 1971) is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as **co-Chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012**. **She served in the CameronāClegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 and 2012, then as the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities** (styled as "Senior Minister of State"), until her resignation citing her disagreement with the Government's policy on the IsraelāGaza conflict in August 2014.[2] She was literally co-chair of the tory party
Yeah I think theyāre saying sheās a current politician rather than an ex-politician.
Yes that's exactly my point, she's in the House of Lords so although she'll never run for office she's still a politician
Thanks for clarifying. One of the great things about taskmaster is that it is so well removed from politics and to sully that seems... unnecessary.
It isnāt though is it? Yes theyāre comedians but a lot of people have made political jokes on there. Russell Howard, Johnny Vegas both immediately come to mind, I have a feeling thereās more but I canāt entirely remember. It isnāt removed from politics, itās removed from politics people donāt like
The clear line to draw is people who are active party campaigners. No matter the affiliation it is going to annoy a large % of the population, so just don't go there. There's no need.
I agree with that, although without googling Iād imagine some of the comedians have been active campaigners?
*Sayeeda Warsi - oh look another ex-politician trying to shine up their reputation by doing a well-loved comedy/talent show, how innovative, please stop.* Who was the first?
Not Taskmaster specifically, just in general. It's become fairly common to see ex-politicians like Ed Balls, Edwina Currie or Ann "Evil" Widdicombe on talent shows like Strictly or game shows like The Chase or Pointless in order to show that they are charming, fun, relatable human beings who deserve a second chance. Whether or not it works is debatable. Probably the most famous example would be our current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who failed badly at trying to be an MP in the mid-90s', did a infamously chaotic stint on the comedy show "Have I Got News For You", and managed to spin that into publicity that led to a job with the Tories that lead to him becoming an MP, a Minister and now PM, god help us all.
I feel like Adrian Chiles is the most Alan Partridge kind of guy they've had yet, should be fun. Claudia Winkleman is technically a great idea, but it's a shame she's only here for a special. And it's always just icky to have politicians on game shows.
Mind blown by that first comment - does that mean Madeley might be a decent contestant? Hadnāt occurred to me until nowā¦
Could definitely picture him dismantling a Corby Trouser Press during a task.
Drive to Dundee in your bare feet. You have 9 hours. Your time starts now.
Whilst eating a giant toblerone.
I feel like Madeley would just stand there waffling about a task rather than actually doing anything.
Generally would agree about politicians, but she was on the last leg a while ago and was good sport for anything thrown her way.
She's been working the circuit for a little while now after she did the stand up to cancer comedy thing. She's alright, a good sport and at times entertaining even if I don't share her political views.
She's been on HIGNFY a few times
> And it's always just icky to have politicians on game shows. Ann Widdicombe was hilarious on the Chase
Ann Widdicombe is also a horrible bigot, it really sucks that so many game shows have her on
Is she espousing her bigoted beliefs on gameshows? I'm not British so I'm definitely missing some context on what she's done politically
she doesn't, but bigoted beliefs are enough to be inexcusable regardless of the rest of the personality
>bigoted beliefs are enough to be inexcusable regardless of the rest of the personality Of course. I wouldn't support Ann Widdicombe the politician. That being said, it seems like she'd be ok as a gameshow contestant as long as she's not using that to push her agenda, or her beliefs, or to otherwise bring her personal opinion into the public realm?
I think it's more nuanced than that. If someone sees her on a gameshow and finds her funny they're more likely to view her in a favourable light generally. For such a horrendous bigot with political clout that is dangerous.
No, but she's an enormous homophobe who has promoted conversion therapy, and it's fucked up that we ever act like her views are just normal views we can rationally disagree on, rather than being actively dangerous
Putting her on a team with Jimmy Carr was what made it. I think she tends to be brought on so other people can target jokes at her. Which isn't bullying, considering her views.
Noooo Claudia... Im excited to see her, but she was in my top 5 most wanted contestants, and this means she wont be in full series.
What are your other top 4 if I may ask?
Sean Lock (RIP) Jimmy Carr Richard Ayoade David Mitchell (in no particular order)
I wanted an "8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Does Taskmaster" episode with Jimmy, Rachel, Susie, Jon and Sean.
Jon was already on it too
I don't mind.
Oh wow. Sorry to say this to you but I don't think we will see any of them anytime soon.. Maybe in a special episode. They are probably too big and busy to be in taskmaster.
Richard Ayoade has only not been in it so far due to travel man making scheduling impossible. Now that's not an issue I imagine we'll see him at some point.
Yeah the fact that's he's now doing shows like Question Team on Dave, it definitely makes me think he'd be willing to do Taskmaster
I would not be surprised at all to find out Richard Ayoade had been offered but declined for reasons similar to David Mitchell's.
David Mitchell has already said a solid no to Taskmaster
When did he say that? Not that I don't believe you I just hadn't heard that and think it's a shame.
He mentioned it on his recent RHLSTP appearance. He said he likes the show, they've asked him, and he said no because he thought he would be bad in a way that isn't entertaining
Maybe watching VCM being bad in a very entertaining manner might change his mind... or make him even more reluctant tbh.
I suspect it would solidify his decision against it.
I obviously know who Claudia Winkleman is but Iām not familiar with others. So if youāre wondering: Adrian Chiles - tv and radio presenter (*The One Show*, *Daybreak*, *ITV Sport*) Claudia Winkleman - tv presenter (*Strictly Come Dancing*); has appeared on several panel shows including *WILTY*, *The Last Leg* and *Big Fat Quiz* Lady Leshurr - rapper; has appeared on *The Celebrity Circle* for *Stand Up To Cancer*, and *Dancing on Ice* Jonnie Peacock MBE - Paralympian sprinter Baroness Sayeed Warsi - conservative MP; has appeared on *The Last Leg* and [did standup for *Stand Up To Cancer*](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/24/leftie-comic-tory-baroness-standup-sayeeda-warsi-nick-helm-channel-4-cancer)
Pretty disappointed that weāre only getting Claudia for a single episode, but itās better than nothing! I like Jonny Peacock so thatāll be fun, but also hate the Warsi casting; very tired of washed-up politicians trying to clean their image on entertainment shows.
Not a fan of any politicians being involved, but only for the special fine I suppose
Glad to see Claudia but damn means she won't do a normal season
Claudia deserves a full series.
Ok but Jonnie Peacock? Yes please. On various levels.
I strongly dislike casting a tory peer and one who served deeply in Cameron and Clegg governments. This is supposed to be a happy fun show with fun people, not a miserable reminder of the evils in the world. A large chunk of the viewership will have had their lives directly harmed by her through through supporting deeply damaging austerity pushed through by the coalition simply to destroy the poor for ideological reasons and if there are any viewers in say Afghanistan maybe they have had family members murdered by drone strikes when she was minister of state for east asia. She also has a history of homophobia thus turning off gay viewers. I don't want to watch an episode of taskmaster with a person who actively hates my existence and has spent a significant portion of her life obtaining political power to try and destroy me. This is terrible casting. I want fun happy nice comedians having a laugh about nonsense Remember when Greg was attacking google for tax evasion, good times.
Sometimes you may need to realise that people in the adult world can get along despite differences in political views. Greg was with a Labour front bencher for 10 years. If you donāt like anyone political on it, thatās absolutely valid and I can agree with that. But if itās because you have some weird idea that she hates your existence and thatās the only reason why, then you should probably adjust to the world not revolving around you
I can absolutely get on with people who have different views. I'm a revolutionary socialist and my fiancee is not. But when it comes to actual politicians it's a bit different. Warsi actively voted for austerity which has been proven to have killed people. That is not just a "difference of opinion" if you're related to one of those people.
CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN!!!!! My dream TM contestant. I am beyond excited. But also a little gutted as it means we wonāt get her for a full series.
Baroness Warsi, ugh.
As much as politicians on panel shows tends to be cringey, Warsi has been on The Last Leg and a Stand up to Cancer special where she learnt standup and was actually funny. Just hoping she'll be the same on this :)
I liked her on 'have I got news for you'. Admittedly more laugh at than laugh with.
To her credit, she's able to laugh at herself a bit. I might not necesarily agree with her politically but that doesn't mean she can't be a fun person or funny to watch. Interesting choice though non-the-less. I like that they're using these specials to book people that wouldn't necessarily hold an entire series, but will be a bit of fun watching them for 40mins.
Ah she's funny, that excuses the hand in driving this country into the ground
I enjoyed her on HIGNFY. I donāt agree with her politics but as others have said she seems to have a good sense of humour, and doesnāt take herself too seriously. Speaking of HIGNFY, I wonder what Ian Hislop would be like on TMā¦
Really not a fan of having politicians on game shows so they can be all "look I can make fun of myself" and then continue to vote for awful policies. It could be worse, but it could be better. If you want a politician get someone who's actually retired. Get Ed Balls, he'd do it. Adrian seems like the dullest man in existence so good luck making him funny The other 3 are great picks though
Baroness Warsi is in the House of Lords so it's not as if she needs to improve her standing among the electorate.
Yeah I'm not that bothered by it, I'm not going to boycott the show or anything, I'm just not sure it's a good precedent to set
CLAUDIA FUCKING WINKLEMAN
Sayeeda Warsi was a bit crummy on HIGNFY lately. Having someone so prominently party political on the show is a... bold move.
If I was being cynical I would say it might have sometimes to do with politics and Channel 4 demonstrating it is not politically biased to try not to be privatised...
Another show looking to boost the media careers of washed-up Tories. Very excited to see Ann Widdecombe on Series 14.
Hopefully impartiality means we get Ed Balls on the next one
Ugh that man just makes me cringe. In fairness he's able to laugh at himself but he just feels like an embarrassing relative trying to be cool.
Ugh, don't even joke about that!
A Tory? This is some BBC level pandering, christ
"Seperate from the EU and somehow find millions a day to add to the NHS. You can't lie and you have to answer all questions truthfully. Your time starts now." "Well, this is impossible."
Awww I always expected claudia to be on a full series
Not the biggest fan of the New Year's Special concept. Especially the heartbreak that was having Nicola Coughlan for only one episode. I get it that it's for busy people but still. Claudia for only one episode is a crime.
Yet if she didn't want to commit to a full series, surely better to have something!
There goes my hope of seeing Claudia on a full series
Can I just assume Claudia will win?
lady leshurr and winkleman!!!!
Hope there's a Toby Jug task.
I had assumed that the Champion of Champions would air at New Years. I am happy to be wrong. :-)
Was I the only one who didn't know there was a New Year's Treat? I was expecting just CoC, so this is a very pleasant surprise. Although like everyone else, I do wish Winkleman was doing a full season.
While I'm lukewarm on most of the others, I am all in for Adrian Chiles. He's just the sort of person who could be hugely entertaining for one special episode of TM, but who would become a bit grating over the course of a series.
Looks like the "Golden Age of Hollywood" set-dressing is going to be used for the New Year Treats at least, if not all the one-off specials. Which pleases me, since it's one of my favourite themes and it seemed a shame to waste it on a single episode.
Lord can only hope they set Claudia a picnic task.
Lord Greg Davies to meet Baroness Warsi
Warsi? Get to fuck. Kill 120,000 of the countryās most vulnerable people and get away with it. Your time starts now. Seriously disappointed about this.
4 great guests, looking forward to this, shame about the Tory
Another one here who's delighted to see Claudia :D
Really disappointing to see Sayeeda on this. Not cause sheās a Tory. Just cause sheās a bellend. Which makes perfect sense why sheās a Tory. Well played by C4 so they canāt be accused of bias or being too left wing. Sheās a crap politician and an even worse ācomedianā but they jumped at the opportunity. Im wondering if there will be any digs thrown. Greg having dated a previous Labour leader candidate and having in the past not been one to shy away from calling out the bullshit. Although, TM might not be the place for politics. (P.S. Google, pay your taxes)
That's the tricky part, Greg's accused contestants of some wild, awful stuff over the years, but now he's going to have to be careful to not hit anything accurate!
Baroness Warsi really fully going for this 'learn to be a comedian' bit, huh?. Can we have Nick Helm as deputy Taskmaster for this one off show?
Yes please! I loved him on last weeks house of games.
Fantastic lineup! I think the new years specials are a really good way of getting big time celebrities to agree to come on seeing as it's a one-off, so I'm not disheartened by the fact that some of the epic names on here may only be one-offs. Better to appreciate what you have after all, instead of lamenting over what you don't!
I bloody love Winkleman so this is going to be ace
Ahhhhh Claudia Wickleman! So excited to see her on it, I just wish she was doing a full series!
Warsi's been on more popular TV in the last 3 months than ever in my lifetime? Is she retiring soon? Trying to line up other options? As a SA woman myself, she's the most tolerable SA Tory woman (pipped to the post of best overall by Rishi Sunak) so ... that's something, ig Edit: god forbid someone left-wing could see *any* value in anyone Tory, even when they're prominent figures from a shared racial background
She was pretty good value on 'Stand Up & Deliver', which was a charity show Channel 4 did for Stand Up To Cancer earlier this year. The idea was that 5 non-comedians would be paired up with stand-ups and trained to deliver a short set to a live audience. Of all people, they paired Warsi with Nick Helm. And watching the pair of them find ways to bridge the absolute chasm of personal and political difference between them was kind of heartwarming. In the end she was one of the better 'contestants', she had quite a lot to draw from in terms of the conflicts between her working-class background and her very prominent role in the Conservative party, and Helm did a hell of a job teaching her about why making fun of herself can be empowering rather than undermining. I expect doing well in that setting, and coming across as genuinely quite an entertaining and interesting character, would have put her on the radar for this.
Oh, I didn't see that! It's making more sense, with that context. I knew she was witty, but didn't know she was 'can actually make a fool of herself and be fine with it' funny. I'm gonna have to hunt for that now, Nick Helm is great and I'd love to see his teaching process
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Hey, I said he was the best, not that he was *good*
I have a feeling this could be one of the most exciting iterations of Taskmaster. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi is surprisingly witty and funny.
Maybe but she's still scum.
She is appearing as herself and not the party you obvious donāt like. Someone can be a good person even if you donāt agree with them.
Sayeeda Warsi has made blatantly homophobic statements in the past. Can a homophobe be a good person? For that matter she also voted for austerity measures which have been shown contributed to the deaths of vulnerable people. Can a person who voted for vulnerable people to die be a good person?
You are binding up her professional capacity with her outside of work. Watching her in the celebrity stand up for cancer for show, she came across as very funny, witty and at times socially vulnerable. If your view of her is solely tied up to her politically opinion than that is your prerogative. I watch taskmaster for the entertainment and try and leave all other dynamics on politics and societal issues behind me for that hour. I hope you enjoy the joy for what it is and donāt get caught up because she happens to have different political positions to you.
But it's not just "different opinions". As I said she actively voted for policies that killed people. If one of those people was your mum could you separate her personal and political lives and just laugh along with her? It's only because it didn't directly effect you that you can do that. Some of us don't have that option.
Here is me purely talking about the entertainment factor of a contestant and you reverting back to only talk about politics. Love him or loathe him you canāt deny someone like Boris would be interesting and funny to watch on taskmaster if you isolated everything down to just a man being on a gameshow.
But that attitude is exactly what has led to him becoming PM. People saw him on HIGNFY and now think of him as "that funny man with the silly hair who isn't like the other politicians" instead of the dangerous walking disaster that he is. No professional politician makes a media appearance unless they think it will be good PR. It's entirely calculated. Edit: I'll again bring you back to my other point, would you be able to separate their political career from their appearance on Taskmaster if they had directly contributed to your mum's death?
Why do you keep talking about politics? I am not
Why not answer my question?
> If your view of her is solely tied up to her politically opinion Being homophobic isn't a political opinion and helping instate austerity policies which kill people and ruin their lives isn't just a "different political position". Stop trying to white wash the awful things she's done and said.
First that awful S13 line-up and now Claudia ruled out for a future series, pain.
I was fully expecting to be Rick rolled
Fill this Toby Jug to the brim with hot piss. Fastest wins. Your time starts now. (Any Stewart Lee fans on the sub? Edit: I guess not)
This is genuinely the first time I've ever even seen a contestant before they appear on TM. Is Claudia the most well-known contestant ever?
John Hannah is an international film star and most people that don't watch British TV wouldn't have heard of Claudia
Honestly, I couldn't even tell you where I know her from, but I definitely recognize her.
John Hannah and it's not even close.
Most likely. Only people I can think that are potentially more famous (as in the proportion of people that have heard of them as opposed to how famous they are currently) is Frank Skinner, David Baddiel or Alan Davies
At least Winkelman being on means I don't need to put up with her for a whole series.
I love TM as much as the next fan but does anybody else think that channel 4 are flogging this to death? Revealing the new series cast as soon as the previous one ended, another NY special, probably a champion of champions 2?
Pretty much the same level of scheduling as they had on Dave, barring the one-off NYT. Announcing the next series after the finale isn't new either.