‘Taskmaster’ is set to remain firmly in Channel 4’s grasp after the broadcaster announced a major recommission of the BAFTA and Rose d’Or-winning comedy format, securing six new series of the hit show, along with the return of both the New Year Treat and future editions of ‘Taskmaster Champion of Champions’.
That means Greg Davies and Alex Horne will continue in their now-iconic roles as the Taskmaster and his long-suffering assistant for at least another three years, extending Channel 4’s run as the UK home of one of the country’s most reliably brilliant bits of television chaos.
The new deal also expands ‘Taskmaster’ beyond the main series. Alongside keeping every series available to stream free on Channel 4, the broadcaster will now also offer the New Zealand, Australian and Canadian versions of the format on both Channel 4 and Channel 4’s UK YouTube channel. That is a notable move, particularly as the franchise’s global popularity continues to grow at a remarkable rate.
There is also a big digital shift for UK fans, with full episodes set to land on Channel 4’s YouTube channel for a UK audience for the first time. That feels like a smart move for a show which has become a huge online success, not just on the official worldwide ‘Taskmaster’ channel, but across social platforms more broadly.
Channel 4 said Series 19, which aired in 2025, delivered the show’s strongest ever share on the channel, with 0-7 day consolidated share posting more than four times the slot average among 16-34s. Meanwhile, ‘Taskmaster’ clips across Channel 4-run social platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat pulled in 165 million global views in 2025 alone.
Worldwide, the official ‘Taskmaster’ YouTube channel has now hit 1.4 billion lifetime views across more than 100 million unique viewers since launching in 2019. The franchise saw a particularly strong surge in 2025, with annual views up 69% to 426 million, while new subscribers also rose by 69%. North America continues to be a major growth area too, with views from that region up 70% to 243 million, and new subscribers up 82%.
That international rise only underlines how unusual ‘Taskmaster’ has become. What started as a gloriously daft comedy panel show has quietly turned into one of the UK’s most successful entertainment exports, with 13 international versions now airing around the world.
Tom Beck, Head of Live Events and Commissioning Editor, said: “Taskmaster is the most creative, funny and frankly ludicrous show on telly; I’m delighted to enable their silly brilliance for another three years”.
Alex Horne, the show’s creator and host commented: “I’m pleased and quite stressed that I’ve got to come up with a lot more tasks for a lot more comedians but the thought of three more years in Greg’s deep embrace is soothing my little head”.
The Taskmaster, Greg Davies said: “I am delighted the comedian meat grinder remains open for business. I look forward to gleefully keeping it fed with the help of a small, introverted man that I own.”
Jon Thoday, executive producer, said: “It is fantastic to be renewing our successful UK partnership with Channel 4. The brilliance of Alex, Greg, the production team, along with the excellent comedians, keep this show delighting and surprising viewers every series.”
For Channel 4, this is a fairly obvious no-brainer. ‘Taskmaster’ is not just one of its funniest shows, it is one of its most valuable brands, generating strong broadcast numbers, younger audience appeal, massive social reach, and a growing global footprint. Giving it another six series makes perfect sense, and bringing full episodes to YouTube in the UK should only make the franchise even bigger.
‘Taskmaster’ Series 21 premieres Thursday, 9th April 2026 at 8pm on Channel 4 in the UK and on YouTube for the UK and internationally.
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