A new lineup of comedians is taking on the challenge of entertaining Taskmaster Tom Gleeson.
In its fourth season, Taskmaster Australia welcomes Dave Hughes, Emma Holland, Lisa McCune, Takashi Wakasugi, and Tommy Little as they compete for the coveted Taskmaster trophy.
Before one of these five comedians can lift the golden likeness of the Taskmaster in victory, they must tackle a series of hilarious and perplexing challenges set by Tom Gleeson and his so-called lesser assistant, Tom Cashman.
Advertisement Before the premiere of Season 4 on Thursday, March 27, Emma Holland spoke to 10 Play about her experience and her long-time love for the franchise, even before the Aussie version debuted.
In 2018 I had an awful desk job, and I used to sneakily watch Taskmaster in the corner of my screen just to pass the time, Looking back, that probably contributed to me getting fired.
Emma said
The concept of the show is straightforward: five comedians are given tasks to complete in whatever way they choose. They then gather to watch their attempts and receive scores—often ruthlessly—from the Taskmaster himself. However, the tasks are far from ordinary and frequently appear deceptively simple.
Past challenges have included everything from “Do the most epic wink” to “Find the minivan in the sock.” Some are so bizarre that they seem designed purely to push the comedians to their psychological limits—and the results are always hilarious.
With numerous comedians having competed in the Australian and New Zealand versions, Emma reached out to former contestant and inaugural Taskmaster Australia winner, Danielle Walker.
Her and I have brains that are creative in a similar way, so I thought that would be helpful, She mostly told me to always look for clues under the table, advice I never took on and later regretted.
Emma shared
Despite receiving that useful—yet ultimately ignored—advice, Emma admitted that the biggest surprise of tackling the tasks was realizing that the time limits are absolutely real.
I don’t know what I expected, maybe a bit of movie magic, but the timer is there and it’s ticking and it’s stressful, You truly just have to go with the first idea that pops into your head because there isn’t really time to brainstorm.
Emma said
While relying on instinct isn’t always the best strategy, many comedians facing the Taskmaster’s intense scrutiny will do whatever it takes to earn those precious points.
I am deeply competitive, and it was really hard trying to hide that, I think once you know that about me it’s pretty easy to spot. I grew up playing soccer (still do) and it’s always been a great outlet for my competitiveness so that it doesn’t leak out into other areas of my life, but Taskmaster really brought it out of me, I think the big secret is everyone genuinely wants to win, but that’s what makes the show so good!
Emma has performed stand-up internationally and is well known to fans of Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You’re Here, and The Cheap Seats. Beyond comedy, she’s also a writer, artist, and photographer.
But Taskmaster is no ordinary gig. Aside from the occasional team task, comedians often find themselves performing for an audience of one: Tom Cashman.
Tom and I were friends prior to this but it was nice to see our sheer lack of chemistry highlighted on the big screen. I truly think the awkwardness of us both makes for very strange and oddly paced conversation, and yet, we get on very well. One of life’s great mysteries I suppose,
she said
Despite the unique setup, Emma loved every moment of it.
I loved the whole experience, it’s such an intense and fast-paced environment you have no choice but to be yourself in it. I loved only having Tom as my audience, I’d try to make him laugh a lot of the time, but he doesn’t give much away. People ask me how I like my eggs in the morning, and I always say ‘tough to crack’.
As for future seasons, Emma would “absolutely” encourage other comedians to take on the challenge.
It’s an insane experience but wildly fun, My advice is always look under the table.
she said, adding one last piece of wisdom
Season 4 of Taskmaster Australia premieres Thursday, March 27 on 10 and 10 Play.
Source: 10Play