Taskmaster fans, rejoice: the contestants for season 17 have been revealed and a launch date has been confirmed.
Taskmaster sees five comedians complete a series of out-of-the-box challenges (complete with twists and turns) in the hopes of winning the all-important five points.
Previous series have seen the likes of Josh Widdecombe, Katherine Ryan, Noel Fielding, Adrian Chiles and Dara O’Brien take home the top prize.
Now, hot off the heels of the Taskmaster Champion of Champions 2024 special on January 14, the contestants for the next season have been named.
Fans of TV shows Ted Lasso and Inside No. 9 are sure to be thrilled, with major stars set to go head-to-head to impress taskmasters Greg Davies and Alex Horne.
With a new season launching, who are the contestants and how can you watch it?
When is season 17 of Taskmaster?
The new season of Taskmaster will begin on Thursday, March 28, at 9pm on Channel 4.
Lord Greg will be counting on Little Alex Horne, his helper, to time, note, record, and measure every activity over the course of 10 episodes. At the conclusion, one celebrity will be named the winner.
Who are the contestants?
Sophie Willan
Sophie Willian, 36, is a Bafta award-winning actress and comedian perhaps best known for her BBC2 series Alma’s Not Normal. She also appeared in Time with Sean Bean, as Maeve, and in Still Open All Hours as Ruby.
Willan has also appeared on panel and quiz shows like Would I Lie to You and The Weakest Link, and is the narrator of the reality show, The Circle.
Steve Pemberton
Steve Pemberton, 56, is an actor and writer, best known for being a member of The League of Gentlemen, alongside Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. He also created Psychoville and Inside No. 9 with Shearsmith.
Pemberton starred in the hit ITV show Benidorm as Mick Garvey, opposite Siobhan Finneran, from 2007 until 2015. Last year, he appeared on the West End in The Pillowman, with Lily Allen.
Joanne McNally
Joanne McNally, 40, is an Irish stand-up comedian and writer who has toured with stand-up shows Wine Tamer and The Prosecco Express. She co-hosts a podcast, My Therapist Ghosted Me, with Vogue Williams.
Speaking about Taskmaster on Instagram stories, McNally said: “It is one of the most rewarding, fun jobs I’ve had in TV so far. It is so much fun, we had a ball.”
John Robins
John Robins, 41, is a stand-up comedian and radio presenter, and friend of Taskmaster creator Alex Horne, with whom he has a YouTube channel called Bad Golf.
He hosts a BBC Radio 5 Live show and a mental health podcast, How Do You Cope?, with DJ Elis James. Robins has also appeared on TV shows like Mock the Week and Russell Howard's Good News.
Nick Mohammed
Nick Mohammed, 43, is an actor, comedian and writer, who will be known by Ted Lasso fans as Nathan Shelley. In recent years he has appeared in Chicken Run 2, Maggie Moore(s), and the TV series Intelligence.
Mohammed has also appeared in major films such as The Martian and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
How to watch Taskmaster season 17
New episodes will air weekly on Channel 4 from 9pm, beginning on Thursday, March 28.
With 2.3 billion viewing minutes throughout all seasons viewed in 2023, Taskmasters is Channel 4's third most streamed title of the year.
