TASKMASTER RANKINGS
i've seen every season of taskmaster uk and taskmaster nz upwards at least 5 times, certain seasons i've rewatched more than that, so i feel i'm qualified to definitely rank every season of taskmaster uk, nz, and who the best (my favorite) contestants are from each. i've also included a little paragraph of miscellaneous thoughts!
TASKMASTER UK
1. SERIES 13
the bit where bridget christie walks very badly during the pedometer task has lifted my spirits on some very difficult days. i also can never get "he put an aubergine in my mouth" out of my head. i have favorite moments of every taskmaster season, but this is the season where basically every joke and bit is my favorite moment, so it goes at the top.
favorite contestants
Bridget Christie and Judie Love2. SERIES 14
the task where john kearns is sabatoging the others is one of my favorite solo-tasks they've ever introduced. also fern brady autism queen. i really appreciate the joking semi-antagonism that fern, dara, and john approach every team task together.
favorite contestants
Fern Brady and John Kearns3. SERIES 9
the teams in this season are probably my favorite team pairings they've ever done. the old people versus youngsters dynamic is sometimes eye-rolly but the way jo brand and david baddiel worked together vs rose matafeo, ed gamble, and katie wicks was such a hilarious contrast. greg davies himself talks about trying to limit the age-based jokes but they are so fruitful in this group in particular
favorite contestants
Rose Matafeo and Ed Gamble4. SERIES 12
the contestant syndergy in this season is OFF THE CHARTS and it made me so happy. morgana robinson call me please i'm free on thursday call me when i'm free on thursday.
favorite contestants
Guz Khan and Morgana Robinson5. SERIES 11
the mike wozniak fart task will live in my brain rent free for the rest of my mortal life. this season would be higher in my rankings if not for the fact that i find lee mack quite obnoxious.
favorite contestants
Mike Wozniak and Sarah Kendall6. SERIES 10
the task where they had to call a specific phone is one of the only tasks that's made me think "i wish i was a contestant on taskmaster so i got to do this". also one of the first seasons where greg's white person bias is less egregious.
favorite contestants
Johnny Vegas and Mawaan Rizwan7. SERIES 15
jenny eclair is the most Strange Old Woman of all time and i'm obsessed with her in every way. also first taskmaster season with a nonbinary contestant!
favorite contestants
Frankie Boyle and Jenny Eclair8. SERIES 7
i think if kerry godliman asked me to clap, i would ask how hard. the fact that rhod gilbert is a close friend of greg's does bring a lot of fun light to this season as well, and phil wang's "i haggled for it" bit during EVERY prize task literally never missed.
favorite contestants
Kerry Godliman and Phil Wang9. SERIES 16
SUSAN WOKOMA I AM FREE THURSDAY DO YOU WANNA HANG OUT WHEN I AM FREE ON THURSDAY BECAUSE I CAN TOTALLY HANG OUT ON THURSDAY WHEN I AM FREE. the contestant-alex chemistry on this season is also really good. he had some great interactions with each of them. and lucy beaumont in the FIRST EPISODE being like "so you can just break the rules? i never broke the rules" really sets you up for some good fucking tasks
favorite contestants
Susan Wokoma and Lucy Beaumont10. SERIES 4
noel fielding is the perfect kind of weirdo and i appreciate his committment to it.
favorite contestants
Noel Fielding and Joe Lycett11. SERIES 8
iain sterling's genuine frustration at certain tasks was a 50/50 on whether it was a fun time to watch, but he makes up for it by being charming and funny and having a good time otherwise. lou sanders is one of my favorite kind of taskmaster contestants, which is woman who is an enthusiastic and unapologetic weirdo comedian. i really liked the task where paul couldn't find the ringing phone.
favorite contestants
Iain Sterling and Lou Sanders12. SERIES 5
nish kumar is the kind of guy that i would love to be friends with if i were british and wasn't a high school senior when this series aired.
favorite contestants
Aisling Bea and Nish Kumar13. SERIES 6
one of the first not-in-the-show taskmaster things i watched was alex horne doing a reddit AMA where he was asked something like "who has been the most unpredictable contestant" and he answered liza tarbuck with no hesitation like. she's an icon.
favorite contestants
Asim Chaudhry and Liza Tarbuck14. SERIES 2
one of my friends joked that katherine ryan saying she doesn't care about what gender she is makes her the first nonbinary contestant on taskmaster years before mae martin and i thought that was fun.
favorite contestants
Katherine Ryan and Joe Wilkinson15. SERIES 3
favorite contestants
Paul Chowdhry and Rob Beckett16. SERIES 1
favorite contestants
Josh Widdicombe and Tim KeyTASKMASTER NZ
1. SERIES 2
has there ever been a more triumphant moment in the history of taskmaster than david correos singlehandedly untying all those goddamn shoelaces? i was already familiar with guy montgomery from his work with the mcelroys on death blart but he is truly at his funniest here, and i'm half in love with laura daniel (whose prize tasks this season are UNMATCHED in taskmaster nz history)
favorite contestants
Guy Montgomery and David Correos2. SERIES 3
the level of focus and hype that josh thompson brings to every task delighted me, and i would be remiss not to mention chris parker's amazing "hide the body" task. i'm also never gonna stop thinking about every single contestant saying that paul ego has "old radio money" and then him refusing to give paul williams any of it. not fond of how it feels like jeremy wells has a personal grudge against justine smith near the end of the season.
favorite contestants
Josh Thompson and Chris Parker3. SERIES 4
it was so hard picking two favorite contestants this season because they're all absolute delights so i want to make it clear that i loved everyone, not just karen and ray, but karen and ray probably got the most collective laughs out of me. i enjoyed dai henwood's total confidence at everything he tried (and failed), and bubbah has enough charm to fill a stadium.
favorite contestants
Karen O'Leary and Ray O'Leary4. SERIES 1
nothing will ever be funnier than the fact that the first season of taskmaster nz has paul williams' literal brother on it. the people's champ indeed. also every time angella dravid spoke i had no idea what would come out of her mouth but i knew it would make me laugh. she brought so much to it.
favorite contestants
Angella Dravid and Guy WilliamsTASKMASTER AUS
1. SERIES 1
i really don't enjoy how much of this season is dedicated to making nina oyama look like a complete idiot (moreso than any of the other contestants) and as much as i do enjoy a lot of the contestant interactions, it makes it difficult to watch. there's some funny stuff in the middle of all that at least