Who hosts Taskmaster UK? The comedian behind the golden head
If you've been watching clips of comedians doing absurd things with watermelons and wondering who the enormous bloke in the big chair is — here's your answer.
The Taskmaster: Greg Davies
Greg Davies has hosted Taskmaster since its very first episode in 2015. He sits in the Taskmaster's throne, watches footage of the contestants attempting challenges, and dishes out (or withholds) points based on their efforts. His judging style is gleefully arbitrary — he can award bonus points for making him laugh or dock them because someone's got on his nerves.
Davies is a comedian and actor, best known for playing Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners and the lead in the sitcom Cuckoo. He's also a former secondary school teacher, which might explain why he's so at ease telling grown adults they've made an absolute hash of things.
At 6ft 8in, Davies cuts quite the figure, which only adds to the comedy of him lording it over five panicking comedians.
The Taskmaster's Assistant: Alex Horne
The show was created by Alex Horne, a comedian and musician who first developed the concept at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010. On the programme, Horne plays the role of the Taskmaster's loyal and slightly put-upon assistant. He supervises the tasks in the field, reads out the rules, and absorbs Greg's put-downs with quiet dignity.
Despite appearing subordinate on screen, Horne is the creative engine behind the whole thing — he designs all the tasks and runs the production.
The show itself
Taskmaster first aired on Dave, moved to Channel 4 after series 9 in 2019, and has been going strong ever since. As of 2026 it's on its 19th series, with no sign of slowing down. Each series features five comedians competing across a run of episodes, with a champion crowned at the end.
The golden bust of Greg Davies' head — awarded to each series winner — has become one of the most coveted prizes in British comedy. That's not a wind-up. They genuinely want that head.