Taskmaster, Series 9

Greg Davies is the Taskmaster and he is back for a glorious ninth series of the show that bears his grand title. In one hand he brandishes his sparkling golden face-trophy, in the other sits Little Alex Horne, his ever-popular personal secretary,. Of course, every new series needs the spectacle of five fresh and funny fellows anxiously hoping that their attempts at task completion will gain favour with the Great Man. This season's high-class hopefuls are: David Baddiel, Ed Gamble, Jo Brand, Katy Wix and Rose Matafeo. This quintet of creative contestants face a vast array of simple yet complicated tasks that they must try to perform competently and without making themselves look foolish. Sometimes they will succeed triumphantly, other times they really, really won't. And it's on these latter occasions that their knees will knock as they sit, waiting to endure a verbal whipping from the angry man on the big, gold throne. Alex Horne will, as usual, lurk creepily in the background of all the task attempts, clutching his tablet and making furtive notes, while the comics try to make sense of challenges ranging from secreting shiny vegetables, to bringing a classic board game to life, to performing a sensational self-serenade. And, after ten episodes, one of the five will be given full rein to celebrate inappropriately with the replica of Greg's head as they exult in the grandeur of becoming a Taskmaster Champion.