Taskmaster, the comedy series Horne co-presents with Greg Davies on Dave,inspires enthusiasm.
(Though given the human-heart-in-a-jar tendencies, perhaps healthy isnt quite the word.)
How did you get him to agree when there wasnt anything to show him?
I loveTaskmasters origin story.
You always say that you dreamt it up inspired by jealousy of Tim Keys Perrier award.
That is kind of my stock answer to that, but it is genuinely true!
The motivational power of professional jealousy can never be overstated, I always think.
Yeah, its horrible.
You just feel desperate, but its good, it does inspire you to get up and do something.
I wasnt jealous enough not to invite him onto the show!
[Laughs] And I think Ivejust aboutgot over it.
There were a few hurdles to getting it commissioned, werent there?
Is it right that it was turned down by each of the mainstream channels?
It was difficult, but it did also improve it.
Its nice being on a smaller channel, but also a channel for people who are interested in comedy.
We have quite a knowledgeable audience I think.
The Taskmaster bookat the end of last year opened the show up so your audience could join in.
What kind of responses have you had from the public to the tasks in the book?
Its been really, really great.
It was what I was hoping would happen.
They had to rip pages out and travel the world.
People have doneridiculousthings, which is so exciting.
Send the most unusual thing to my PO Box is one task.
Whats the most unusual thing thats been sent to your PO Box?
Ive been sent somebodys heart in a jar.
At that point, youre thinking, Im not sure if I should be opening this!
Am I encouraging people to send letter bombs, effectively?
So that was odd.
What are you expecting is going to happen?
I think theyll go to Epping.
Are you going to film it?
No, were just going to have a picnic.
Will you be inviting otherTaskmasterpeople?
I dont think so.
Its not meant to be a publicity stunt.
Its just a nice little get-together for anybody who can be arsed to work it out and come.
Ill be there with the kids and Ill just see what happens really.
At one of the recordings last week a few of the most prolific book tasking people came along.
People are a lot less weird than they might seem.
They tend to all just be imaginative and funny, so it should be great.
I saw on Twitter theres aTaskmaster-themed wedding coming up where the invitations were a puzzle?
There have been quite a few actually.
Somebody said Ive got a task here, can you give it to my girlfriend?
And in the task it said Marry me.
It was really emotional and really odd, but that sort of things happened a few times, weirdly.
And you going to go to the wedding?
Its a positive thing.
Currently, the book is No 3 in TV tie-ins on the Amazon chart.
Okay, thats good!
No 1 is Alan Partridges book.
No 2, is James Acasters Classic Scrapes.
Oh, fair enough!
I think he seems to be the hot comedian at the moment.
Hes very good, he deserves it.
Hes one of my favourite ever contestants.
Has he ever actually said hello to you?
But when we noticed, it was so funny.
He is now keeping that up forever I think.
Onto series eight what can you tease?
Its the most disparate group of contestants in that they come from very different worlds.
Whereas Sian and Joe are more actors.
They write and theyre very funny people, but theyre actors.
Iain Stirling, hes got bothLove Islandfans and children through CBBC.
That will be really enjoyable to see how that works.
Do any of them wear outfits as impressive as Phil Wangs?
Are there still themes for each series?
I lost count around the time of coconuts I think.
This ones heavily themed actually, manga-themed, the Japanese comics.
Can we expect the return of Fred the Swede?
[Laughs] Im always amazed how many people ask me that.
The trouble is, Fred the Swedes gone back to Sweden!
He used to be the drummer in my band, but he went back to Sweden.
He still plays the drums, but he also does painting and decorating.
It was too short compared to the English one and they didnt quite get the tone right?
I think in retrospect I wouldnt have agreed to change the format quite as much as we did.
I was very proud of it.
I think its good but it didnt quite make the splash it needed to over there.
It was a really fun experience.
If it happened again, great, but Im fairly comfortable if it doesnt.
Hes an odd character.
Tell me then, what does the Taskmaster eat for breakfast?
I think hes pretty deranged.
I think he is reasonable and you might talk to him but he has odd habits I think.
The things that he wants people to do for him are unnecessarily obtuse.
Not quite a megalomaniac, not quite a dictator, but definitely someone who enjoys the power.
Taskmaster series eight starts tonight at 9pm on Dave.
