Taskmaster season 19 has come to a triumphant end with BBC star Mathew Baynton celebrating an epic victory.
The Ghosts actor, 44, won the top spot and a bust of host Greg Davies’ head as his reward after undergoing ten weeks of gruelling (and baffling) tasks against his co-stars and fellow comedians.
Following behind Mathew’s winning 169 points was comedian Stevie Martin with 154 points (who separately won the final episode).
In third place was US star Jason Mantzoukas with 150 points, then Rosie Ramsey with 149 points and, coming in last, we had Greg’s almost-wife Fatiha El-Ghorri with a respectable 141 points.
‘I’m just really happy. I was having so much fun…’ Mat told Metro about his victory ahead of the final episode. He joins an exclusive group of past Taskmaster winners including Ed Gamble, Katherine Ryan, Dara Ó Briain and Mae Martin.
The Horrible Histories actor wowed audiences, sidekick little Alex Horne, his fellow competitors and, most importantly of all, the titular maestro himself, Greg, to secure the victory on the Channel 4 reality series.
The actor has gone viral among the Taskmaster fandom (and beyond) more than once this season for his iconic behaviour – including one task where he and Alex transform from caterpillars into butterflies.
Responding to the fan reaction, he said: ‘It is lovely and with that one in particular (as with so many of them) I have to big up the team because they’re such amazing artists that they take these videos you have and just do such a brilliant job.
‘[There’s] no time, really, to prepare… I was like, “oh, let’s turn into butterflies”‘ and ‘ten minutes later you’re in these costumes filming them, and Chrissy, the makeup artist, made us look so funny.
‘The brilliance of it is 10% the contestant and 90% the Taskmaster team, who are just a bunch of geniuses.’
He added that ‘if people knew how it was made, they’d be so much more in awe of that team just making it incredible.’
Whether coming up with perfectly executed task prizes (like his fakeout with the biggest anticlimax) or proving his utmost commitment to the tasks no matter how absurd, the Yonderland star brought the skills needed to climb the ranks.
For him, however, the most ‘humiliating’ moments were when had ‘messed up’ on a task without even realising.
‘There was a task where I thought I had done triumphantly well, but I had inexplicably moved a wheelie bin, disqualifying myself in the process or when I shouted “everybody” to lead along a sing along of a song that I wrote that took me one word over the word limit,’ he explained.
The Horrible Histories icon ended the final episode to raucous cheers from the live audience before going in for a passionate snog with his newly-acquired trophy.
During the finale, the contestants had to bring in ‘the thing most likely to make you do a double-take’; fill a box with yellow sand (with multiple catches of course); strike and hold a pose for 10 whole minutes and set up an unconventional drive-through service.
Oh, and shoving a dangling carrot into a bucket without the use of your hands. So, business as usual.
His victory comes at the end of a season that has been widely praised by viewers as the best season in a long time, if not ever – something he is thrilled about.
‘Taskmaster season 19 is hands down the best season ngl I really don’t want it to end,’ spaceyeurotrash wrote on X.
‘This series has been one of the best in ages,’ jessatkinson92 echoed.
‘Love this cast dearly, my favourite series,’ ellasrhapsody declared.
‘S19 has just been such a joy. Every new ep is the greatest episode so far, and the chemistry between the cast is just so excellent. I don’t want this series to end,’ sulcusandjirehs added.
‘Season 19 Taskmaster is a stone cold classic already,’ tarteaucitron2x echoed.
‘Difficult to believe that this series of Taskmaster is almost over, arguably one of the best of the past three years,’ bromley001 reflected.
‘I love them so much pls can we have another 10 episodes I’m not ready for it to be over,’ fern praised.
After his win, many also declared him ‘worthy’ to take out the title.
‘Been a bloody brilliant series of #taskmaster with one of the best lineups ever. Mathew a worthy winner,’ Phil posted on X.
‘Absolutely brilliant series of #Taskmaster with a perfect winner and great final standings overall,’ Kneale commented.
‘That’s just really gratifying,’ Mat said about the widespread praise.
‘You can never control how people perceive or receive anything. I prepared to have as much fun as I could, and then try and cover my ears and my eyes and just ignore whatever response there might be to it.
‘So it’s a huge relief when you dare to take a peek and find that people are saying nice things.’
He added that he had initially felt ‘slightly worried about feeling self-conscious’ but was ‘delighted [he] was able to get over it and enjoy it.’
Although he joked: ‘I still think my career going forward, as long as I haven’t destroyed the possibility of people taking me seriously as an actor, will be in fiction characters.’
There will be a 20th season landing on Channel 4 sometime later this year and the line-up has officially been confirmed.
Breakthrough comic Ania Magliano, presenter Maisie Adam, Phil Ellis, Inside No, 9 star Reece Shearsmith and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar will join Greg and Alex for the new season.
Taskmaster is available to stream on Channel 4.
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