Taskmaster to feature US screen star
- The next series of Taskmaster will feature its first overseas contestant, a US star of film and television who has previously shared their love for the series
- Alex Horne has hinted at their identity, describing them as "from abroad ... a big name overseas, which we've not done before"
- Meanwhile, Taskmaster: The Live Experience is launching a lottery for fans to win £25 tickets
Taskmaster is to feature its first overseas contestant as the hit Channel 4 series seeks to extend its pool of participating comedians, British Comedy Guide can exclusively confirm.
With the 18th series currently airing, Series 19 is being filmed at the moment with the line-up including an American film and television star, an avowed fan of the show.
Although the series, fronted by Greg Davies as the Taskmaster, with the show's creator, Alex Horne, as his assistant, has previously included several acts from beyond the UK and Ireland, such as Canadian comic Mae Martin and Australian Sam Campbell last year, as well as the likes of American act Desiree Burch, the "big name" is the first to have really made their name in the US, with a lower profile in this country.
Asked on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch last month if the show would ever run out of contestants, Horne said that he expected it to exhaust "the legend type, the Dara O Briains and Frank Skinners".
He added that one of the five new contestants is "from abroad ... a big name overseas, which we've not done before, so there's all these different avenues to go down."
The UK version of Taskmaster is currently broadcast across multiple countries and available internationally on a dedicated YouTube channel. The format has also been franchised, with versions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Sweden shooting multiple series.
An American adaptation, featuring musical comic Reggie Watts as the Taskmaster and with Horne reprising his assistant role, aired in 2018 on Comedy Central US but was not re-commissioned.
However, the UK original enjoys a cult following in the States, with Davies and Horne having guested on Seth Meyers late-night talk show as recently as March, amid growing fan speculation that a relaunch Stateside might be on the cards.
The move comes as producers of Taskmaster: The Live Experience have announced a ticket lottery for the attraction, offering a limited number of places at £25 per person.
Taskmaster: The Live Experience opened in London's Docklands last week and is due to run until 25th January.
When it was formally announced in June, many fans complained about the cost of taking part, with sessions priced between £50 and £100 per person.
The new ticket lottery will be a fortnightly draw for anyone signing up to www.taskmasterliveexperience.com. Taking place every second Wednesday at 2pm, winners will be picked at random, contacted by email and have 48 hours to claim their tickets for the next two weeks.
It is yet to be revealed when the first draw will take place or how many £25 tickets are available each fortnight.
Taskmaster Series 18 continues on Channel 4 on Thursdays, with Rosie Jones, Jack Dee, Babatunde Aléshé, Emma Sidi and Andy Zaltzman.