Taskmaster star Mathew Baynton has revealed he’s done something he may regret for the rest of his life.
The Ghosts actor and comedian, 44, is joining Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Jason Mantzoukas, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Rosie Ramsey and Stevie Martin on the new season of Greg Davies and Alex Horne’s chaotic Channel 4 show.
The beloved Bafta award-winning series is returning with the five stars set to take part in a new batch of wild challenges, and Mathew has already teased what we can expect.
‘I did something it’s fair to say I might regret for the rest of my life,’ he admitted.
In an exclusive interview with Metro ahead of the new series airing, the Horrible Histories legend continued: ‘The bizarre thing about that is that no one is telling you what to do, it’s your decision.
‘So I was the maker of my own misfortune in that sense… it’s like you just go into this strange mental space, and all you’re thinking about is the task, and you’re being forced to make decisions quite quickly, and you just do it and throw yourself into it.
‘It’s only when you’re in the car on the way home that you think, “Oh s**t, that’s going on TV, that’s going to last forever”.’
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The comic elsewhere revealed he had a ‘momentary wobble’ before signing up to the show, fearing ‘submitting myself to public judgement’.
‘It is a strangely exposing thing, you’re there really to be made a fool of, and you have to be open to that happening,’ he said.
Mathew revealed that as well as receiving advice from his Ghosts co-stars, presenter Alex was on hand to reassure him behind-the-scenes.
‘I think he’s so used to the insecurities that people might come into it with so he’s really encouraging,’ he shared.
He added: ‘It’s the most I’ve ever felt like I’m literally stepping into my television – that’s what I’d say was the most surreal thing about it.
‘If you watch something for years, and then you find yourself literally there, it’s like stepping into your TV.’
Mathew, who found stardom on the likes of Horrible Histories and Yonderland with the Them There troupe, is now hoping to show a different side to himself with Taskmaster.
‘I’ve been a fan genuinely since the very beginning,’ he told us.
‘There was a period when – after a show I did called The Wrong Mans – when I started to get offered panel shows and I was really nervous about being myself and so I said no to those kind of things, because I thought of myself as a writer and a comic actor, but not a comedian or a stand up comic.
‘And when Taskmaster started, I remember loving it and thinking maybe this is one I would do if they asked me to, because it felt like the framework is so brilliantly set up.
‘You’re not under pressure to be funny, it’s really just about submitting to it, being really open, and just trying to do whatever insane things you’re being asked to do, and it just looked like so much fun.’
He added: ‘You probably reveal more of yourself through your work than you realize you do.
‘I doubt people are going to be particularly surprised I’m quite a silly person with not a huge amount of personal dignity.
‘I’ve probably made that clear through my work today, anyway. So yeah, there was no mystery to protect.’
Despite his genuine love for the show, and the ‘competitive streak’ he admitted to having, Mathew teased that as well as moments he may later regret, there were ‘full mental breakdowns’ that took place.
He told us: ‘Not to say I went in thinking I’m going to win, but like, I’m going to give it my best shot each task, and then routinely, I would open the envelope, have a full mental breakdown within seconds and end up back in the dressing room with my head in my hands going, “Well, that was a disaster, hopefully the next one will go a bit better”.’
He added: ‘I mean that’s the brilliant thing about the show as well, Greg is absolutely singing from his own songbook, you can’t predict what he’s going to think.’
Taskmaster airs at 9pm on Channel 4.
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