Lolly Adefope interview
Lolly Adefope really liked the 'destroy a cake in the most beautiful way you can' task...
Why did you decide to take part in Taskmaster?
I'd seen it before and I loved it and also it just looked like the most fun. It's not like a normal job where you have to learn lines or get in to a role; it's just like a job where you get to have fun. It's not like any of the other panel shows either where you have to have topical jokes; it's just being yourself and being silly.
How were you at approaching tasks?
It depends, because some of them are like 'the time starts now' and you just panic. But if there was one where you had an hour or even half an hour, I would tend to have five minutes where I was silent, thinking, where I'm like 'ok don't mess this up'. I try and work it out and then it always ends up being the last minute where I'm going mad, having abandoned all plans.
I tend to leave everything to the last minute and then I just go in to auto pilot and go 'ok, what needs to be done, let's get it done'. But until that point I'm like it's fine, I have loads of time! Then I panic. I only work under deadline and the most extreme deadline as well.
Do you struggle in pressured situations?
It varies. Some of the ones in the lab you feel like 'ok, I'm comfortable here, I know the space, I know what I can use'. And then if it's in the garden then I just go mad. There was one where we had to create a slide and I was using loads of fairy liquid and the hose and it didn't work. I think I missed my slide though; I jumped over the slide and landed which didn't work at all, but very fun!
Was it harder than you thought?
I think it was less stressful than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be like a game show where it's so easy when you watch it at home but then when you're there you freeze up. But actually, because everyone was really nice and the tasks are so silly, it's not that hard.
Which was the task where you were most mortified by your performance on?
There was one where there were different types of balls; a coconut, a golf ball and a Babybel and there were lots of different things to hit them with, a pool noodle, a snooker cue and a big novelty pencil, and I missed every time. I did the last one I think - I threw it up and it actually went 10cm when it landed so that counted but I missed all the others - I think I lost that one! I felt it from the reactions, which were like 'oh wow - I thought she'd hit it'.
Which was your favourite task?
I really liked 'destroy a cake in the most beautiful way you can'. That was really fun. I just smeared a cake on the side of a brick wall, which I've never done before. It was great! Stuff that you'd never think of doing and then when they suggest it you're like, I would love to destroy this gorgeous cake.
Who do you think is your biggest competition?
I feel like Hugh maybe because I did a team day with Noel and Joe and they were both quite manic, although really fun. I feel like Hugh is maybe more measured in his decisions about stuff. I feel he has a more cerebral way of thinking that will involve a lot less stress and panic than me, Noel and Joe. But also, Mel maybe, although I feel like she has a crazy side where she just goes mad.
Who did you know before?
Only Joe because we've done lots of gigs together. We're good friends but I knew who everyone was. Actually, I've met Hugh before, I did a thing on Radio 4 with him but I still haven't met Mel and I met Noel on the team day we did. They're all lovely guys.
I'm still very excited to meet Mel and I was very excited to meet Noel because I had no idea he was going to be there and I didn't really have a chance to be like 'oh this is so exciting that you're here!' It was more like we were in the middle of a task and then he arrived to do the same task and I was like 'oh cool we have to do a task now'. There's no time to be like 'hey, how are you?' It was probably quite good because I'm a huge fan. And it's nice to meet someone like him who's very silly and fun. We had such a lovely laugh; we all just threw ourselves in to our tasks.
Will people see a different side to you?
I think in some tasks yeah. Because I just have such a different approach to them. For some tasks, I think I was very measured and it might be like 'oh that's interesting, I thought she might have gone mad'. And then other times I've gone mad and people might think I would have thought about it for one second. The studio tasks are going to be my opportunity to win back. I hope so anyway!
I thought Joe might be a bit madder and less formulaic with his plans. There was one task we did where he was like 'we need to create a leverage system'... and I thought 'this is not what I expected you to do'. He's probably done quite well.
How does this show compare to other panel shows that you've done?
I've only ever done QI, which is very different. Because that's like the calmest, nicest panel show I think. Much nicer than a normal one where you have to elbow people out the way to get your word in. Taskmaster is everyone having a nice time and mucking around like you're at school. It's much better than any other panel show.