By Islam El-Sakka
The Taskmaster New Year Treat special has announced its celebrity lineup, with five famous faces set to compete for a trophy modeled after host Greg Davies's golden eyebrows.
Contestants announced
The contestants are This Morning host and Great British Bake Off co-host Alison Hammond, singer Chesney Hawkes best known for his debut hit "The One And Only", social media personality Francis Bourgeois (real name Luke Nicholson) who recently joined The Grand Tour as a host, BBC newsreader Maryam Moshiri who has been with the corporation since 2003, and criminal barrister and TV personality Rob Rinder, former host of Judge Rinder.
Broadcast details and live tour
A broadcast date for the special has not yet been confirmed. The announcement follows news that Taskmaster will stage its first UK live show in Manchester next year, with Davies and sidekick Alex Horne performing at the AO Arena on 26 May before a show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on 22 June. The live format, titled Taskmaster Live On Stage, has already been tested in the United States where tickets sold out in 13 minutes. The television series premiered in 2015 on Dave before moving to Channel 4 in 2020, and its 22nd series began airing in September 2026.
Davies said of the live tour: “I am thrilled that my tiny assistant and I are to bring Taskmaster to such illustrious venues. Whilst on one hand it feels daunting, on the other it feels like destiny. Rest assured my judgements will remain even-handed, and every effort will be made for everyone to have a good time, except Alex.”
