Entertainment

Alex Horne praises TV channel Dave for ‘taking a risk’ on Taskmaster

The comedy challenge show has moved to Channel 4.
The comedy challenge show has moved to Channel 4.

Taskmaster creator Alex Horne has said he has “a lot of respect” for the TV channel Dave for taking a risk on the comedy show.

The programme, hosted by Greg Davies, sees comedians compete in a series of strange and surreal challenges.

It originally aired on UKTV’s free-to-air Dave but is moving to Channel 4 for a six-series run from October 15.

Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards 2020 – Arrivals – London
Greg Davies (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Horne told The Big Issue: “I’ve got a lot of respect for Dave because they were the only ones who took the risk, and I love it.

“But we came to the end of the contract and Channel 4 said how about we show it? I want it to be exactly the same, but just easier to find.”

Taskmaster, which won the TV Bafta for comedy entertainment programme this year, began as a live show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before being adapted for television in 2015.

Horne, who stars as Davies’s put-upon on-screen assistant, said: “We never talk about how he’s going to treat me. But yeah, I think he’s getting more and more irritated towards his assistant.

“But I do egg him on. We actually get on really well. We went camping together last weekend… he’s got a motorhome, I was in a tent. It’s very befitting of our relationship.”

Horne has also set Big Issue readers a task to persuade as many people as they can to buy the magazine and share evidence of their purchase on social media using the hashtag #bigissuetask.

The person who shows the most people with their own copy of the magazine in one picture, in a socially distanced way, wins.

He said: “I think buying The Big Issue is the easiest thing to do in the world. You all know where your Big Issue salesperson is. So persuading other people should be the task…”

Big Issue editor Paul McNamee said: “We’d like to thank Alex Horne for kicking off this exciting challenge for our Big Issue readers.

“You never need an excuse to buy The Big Issue – but here’s a great one. Persuade your family and friends and don’t forget to share your photos on social media. Your time starts now.”

The full story is in The Big Issue in print or you can subscribe online or download the app.