Taskmaster winner Joanna Page is already looking ahead to series 22, throwing her support behind Richard Ayoade. The Gavin and Stacey star, 48, secured her victory in series 21 by mounting Greg Davies' golden head and parading around the stage, beating competitors Kumail Nanjiani, Joel Dommett, Armando Iannucci, and Amy Gledhill.
Blindsided by Victory
In a post-win interview, Page admitted she was completely surprised by her win, which she had to keep secret from her Taskmaster-obsessed daughter for an entire year. She is now eager to see the new lineup for series 22, which includes Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie, Nina Conti, Matt Lucas, and Richard Ayoade.
Praising Isy Suttie as 'brilliant', Page added: 'Obviously, I can't wait to see what Richard is going to come out with, because he's going to do something so utterly unthought about. He's just going to be hilarious. Then also Matt, he's such a big name, but seeing him on it is just going to be brilliant.' Despite fan outrage over the inclusion of Richard and Matt, Page's 'money is on Richard' to win.
Champion of Champions Plans
If Ayoade wins, he could join Page in the ultimate spin-off, Taskmaster: Champion of Champions, described as a nerdier version of Love Island All Stars. Page is already planning her costume for the show, having learned from her series 21 outfit that unintentionally resembled a minion.
'I'm already planning my costume. I've been thinking in great detail about it,' she said. 'It was only when Ed Gamble brought it to my attention that I realised I dressed myself as a minion. I thought: "Right, wear something bright and sunny and cheery, and I like the colour yellow."'
Behind-the-Scenes Antics
Page shared that the chaotic fun extended beyond the aired tasks. During a lint-rolling task, she not only targeted Alex Horne's belly button but also every crew member's. 'I was very shocked at how clean they all were. I don't think I got any lint out of anybody's belly button,' she revealed.
She also expressed surprise at her own reaction during a 'bravery' task involving worms and spiders. 'I was so shocked when I actually saw the task... I realised how utterly hysterical I had got.'
Unseen Tasks and Future Plans
Page hinted at numerous tasks that never made the cut, saying: 'You'll do about 11 tasks a day. I did a load of tasks which weren't even used... They could make another show of that, all of the unseen tasks. I did something with some baked beans, and I also did something with an onion, which was not very pleasant.'
Now that she's officially the champion, Page plans to hide her golden Greg head and send her kids on an Easter egg hunt to find it. 'It should be: Find Greg's head, your time starts now,' she laughed.
Taskmaster series 21 is available to stream on Channel 4 now. There is no release date for series 22.
