Review: Taskmaster, “Hey mate.” | Series 20, Episode 4

It’s Taskmaster series 20, episode 4, with our contestants Ania Magliano, who leaves her friends 7-minute voice notes; Maisie Adam, who attempts to get angry; Phil Ellis, who regrets eating chicken soup; Reece Shearsmith, who’s surprisingly good at miniature home renovation; and Sanjav Bhaskar, who nearly wins.

I confess to having felt pretty lukewarm about Ellis the first three episodes, but he finally won me over. Of course one never knows how much is due to editing, but we’re seeing a lot more personality from him, including genuine exuberance at finally completing this week’s horse-based task. I’m also glad we’re seeing more of Shearsmith than just his grumpy old man persona; he’s quite funny and while he may not be playing to win, he’s definitely invested. All three tasks this week were winners, giving the contestants more room to shine.