In an uncertain world, it’s good to know there are some things you can rely on. The sun rising in the morning. The noisy eater sitting near you at the cinema. The rain starting 10 minutes after you put your washing out. And, of course, Taskmaster, the endlessly inventive task-based comedy game show that serves up reliably bonkers entertainment series after series.

It has now reached its 17th series, and while it’s a massive cliché to say it’s showing no signs of running out of steam, it genuinely is showing no signs of running out of steam! Greg Davies and “Little” Alex Horne are your hosts once again, and the trailer features backward boxing, Lycra-clad humanoids, rubber gloves where they shouldn’t be, and more – well, take a look for yourself:

The show that brought you Coconut Businessman, Don’t Blink, Fake Moustache and The Most Watermelon – and many, many more – continues to bamboozle contestants and viewers alike with its off-the-wall challenges. And following the footsteps of such Taskmaster heroes as Bob Mortimer, Mae Martin, Nish Kumar and Liza Tarbuck are a new batch of celebrities offering themselves for sacrifice on the altar of Tasks. Scroll down to find out more about them…

When is Taskmaster series 17 on TV?

The new series of Taskmaster starts on Thursday 28 March at 9pm on Channel 4 and continues weekly, with episodes also available in Apps > Channel 4.

Joanne McNally

Stand-up comic Joanne McNally started her TV career on Ireland’s Republic Of Telly but she’s familiar to UK viewers from appearances on panel and quiz shows including The Big Fat Quiz Of Everything, House Of Games, The Weakest Link, Guessable and more. She also co-hosts a podcast with fellow comedian Vogue Williams, called My Therapist Ghosted Me, and the pair presented a one-off E4 special called Joanne & Vogue’s Sex Drive.

Find The Big Fat Quiz Of Everything 2022 in Apps > Channel 4

Find Joanne & Vogue’s Sex Drive in Apps > Channel 4

Nick Mohammed

Who is Mr Swallow? The character created by Nick Mohammed, and showcased on various radio and stage shows as well as 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the recent BAFTA Film Awards, is a chirpy, sometimes peevish magician/raconteur who likes to keep audiences unsettled while they laugh. Mohammed also created the sitcom Intelligence and starred in it with David Schwimmer, before finding global fame, Emmy nominations and an SAG Award as coach Nathan “Nate The Great” Shelley in Ted Lasso.

Find Intelligence series 1 + 2 plus the special in On Demand

Find 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown in Apps > Channel 4 (series 16 episode 4; series 18 episode 4; series 20 episode 1; Christmas Special 2021; series 22 episode 6; Christmas Special 2023)

Steve Pemberton

Along with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson, Steve Pemberton created and starred in horror comedy The League Of Gentlemen, a surreal and groundbreaking series whose creepy catchphrases are still heard more than two decades after the original run ended. Hello… Dave? He and Shearsmith teamed up again for the equally macabre and blackly funny Inside No.9, which will air its ninth and final series later this year. Pemberton has also starred in more mainstream fare like Benidorm and Whitechapel.

Find The League Of Gentlemen series 1-3 and anniversary specials in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Find Inside No.9 series 1-8 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

John Robins

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner John Robins has had a string of successful stand-up tours including Where Is My Mind?, This Tornado Loves You and last year’s Howl, in which he talked frankly about his newfound sobriety. He’s best known for his BBC radio show and podcast with Elis James as well as the spin-off How Do You Cope? With Elis And John, and presented the short-lived but endearingly odd Dave quiz show Beat The Internet With John Robins. He also has a YouTube channel, Bad Golf, alongside none other than Alex Horne.

Find Beat The Internet With John Robins in On Demand

Find Elis James And John Robins in Apps > BBC Sounds

Sophie Willan

It takes a real talent to find the funny in tales of neglect, addiction and growing up in care, but Sophie Willan managed it with her award-winning stand-up shows On Record and Branded. Greater success came her way with Alma’s Not Normal, the alternately uproarious and heartbreakingly poignant comedy based on her life that won her BAFTAs, a Broadcast Award and a Royal Television Award. The second series is due later this year. She’s also appeared in Still Open All Hours and prison drama Time, and narrated reality show The Circle.

Find Alma’s Not Normal series 1 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Find Time series 2 in Apps > BBC iPlayer

Want some more Taskmaster? Of course you do!

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Taskmaster’s 50 best tasks of all time

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