When is Taskmaster back and who is taking part?
British comedy panel show returns for a fifth series with Bob Mortimer, Mark Watson, Aisling Bea and Nish Kumar
When does series 5 of Taskmaster begin?
The fifth series of Taskmaster starts at 9pm on Wednesday 13 September on Dave (Freeview 12; Freesat 157; Sky 111; Virgin 127).
Who is taking part?
The contestants for series five are:
- Nish Kumar
- Sally Phillips
- Bob Mortimer
- Aisling Bea
- Mark Watson
Where do I know them from?
A familiar face from his many Fringe appearances, Nish Kumar is a stand-up comedian, satirist and semi-regular host of The Bugle podcast alongside Andy Zaltzman. Recently Nish has been seen on our screens hosting BBC's The Mash Report.
Sally Phillips is a comedian and actor with an impressive CV. One third of Smack the Pony, the giggling receptionist in I'm Alan Partridge, Sharon in the Bridget Jones films and former Finnish prime minister Minna Häkkinen in Veep. But she is probably best known for her role as the girl who smelled of spam in Lee & Herring's Fist of Fun.
Bob Mortimer is, of course, well-known for his numerous collaborations with Vic Reeves (Big Night Out, The Smell of Reeves & Mortimer, Shooting Stars, Catterick, House of Fools etc.). Since 2016 Bob has co-hosted popular weekly podcast Athletico Mince with Andy Dawson.
Irish comedian and actor Aisling Bea will be familiar to many for her frequent appearances on comedy panel shows (8 Out of 10 Cats, QI, The Big Fat Quiz of Everything) and acting roles (crime drama The Fall). She has also occasionally guested on cult US bad-film podcast How Did This Get Made?
Mark Watson is a former winner of the panel prize at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Seemingly a glutton-for-punishment — he has been known to host 24-hour long comedy shows — will this give him an edge on Taskmaster?
Taskmaster premieres Wed 13 Sep on Dave, 9pm.