What Taskmaster season is James Acaster in?
James Acaster's Taskmaster run has been clipped, memed, and replayed more than almost any contestant's — which makes it easy to forget he only ever did one series. Here's exactly where to find him.
The short answer
Series 7. It aired on Dave from 5 September to 7 November 2018, ran for 10 episodes, and its location tasks were filmed mainly at Woodrow High House rather than the usual Taskmaster house.
The series 7 line-up
- James Acaster — finished fourth with 165 points, the highest-scoring fourth-place contestant in the show's history, and won three episodes along the way.
- Kerry Godliman — the eventual series champion.
- Rhod Gilbert — Acaster's chief tormentor and the series' agent of chaos.
- Phil Wang and Jessica Knappett — rounding out the five, with Wang partnering Acaster on the infamous hula-hoop task.
Why his series is so beloved
Acaster's blend of wounded dignity and total commitment produced some of the show's most quoted moments — the doomed "draw the biggest circle" attempt, the running battles with Greg Davies, and above all his presentation of a cooking task gone wrong:
"Started making it. Had a breakdown. Bon appétit." — series 7, 2018.
Eight words, permanent meme. Few contestants have lost so memorably.
Has he done any other Taskmaster?
He's never returned for a full series, but the appearances have trickled in. He guested on Taskmaster: The Podcast (episodes 5 and 97), popped up in a brief cameo in a later task video when he and Ed Gamble arrived at the Taskmaster house while filming Celebrity Hunted, and in 2025 he competed in the live Taskmaster show at Glastonbury Festival alongside Kerry Godliman, Lou Sanders, Richard Blackwood, and — genuinely — Basil Brush.
Where can you watch it?
Series 7 streams on the official Taskmaster YouTube channel in many regions, and repeats regularly on U&Dave in the UK.
165 points, three episode wins, zero series trophies. Not bad for fourth place.