Taskmaster Series 17

No series of Taskmaster is complete without a scoring controversy. In the penultimate episode, John Robins completed a complex navigation task in what was objectively the fastest time. However, due to a technicality (he used his phone as a light source, which Alex ruled was an "unauthorized tool"), he was disqualified.

What made unique was the polarity of the contestants. You had the meticulous, overthinking mind of John Robins, who treated every task like a final exam. Opposite him was the anarchic, joyful energy of Sophie Willan, who seemed to misunderstand the rules as a deliberate strategy. taskmaster series 17

By the time a show reaches its 17th series, you might expect a certain level of formulaic fatigue. Yet Taskmaster —the surreal, gloriously absurd panel show where comedians compete for a golden head of Greg Davies—continues to defy logic. Series 17 (aired April–May 2024 on Channel 4) didn't just maintain the standard; it introduced a chaotic new flavour: No series of Taskmaster is complete without a

One of the most talked-about moments involved a task requiring the contestants to "make the most dramatic entrance." While some opted for pyrotechnics, Nick Mohammed’s attempt involved a complex series of pulleys and a costume change that went spectacularly wrong, leading to one of Greg Davies' longest laughing fits in the show's history. What made unique was the polarity of the contestants

Alex, meanwhile, leaned harder into his role as the long-suffering martyr. In one task, Nick Mohammed taped Alex to a ceiling fan and spun him for three minutes "for the aesthetic." Alex took it with the stoic resignation of a man who has been hit by a frying pan, covered in cement, and buried alive in previous series.

The radio host and stand-up is famous for his neurotic, competitive edge. In Series 17, that edge became a full-blown knife wound. Robins wanted to win so badly that he would enter fugue states of overthinking. Watching him build a catapult or memorize a sequence was like watching a man build a cathedral while on fire.