Alex Horne: “My area of cooking expertise is toasties: prawn cocktail, meatballs, Nutella…”
It’s been 10 years since Alex Horne’s Taskmaster – the show where comedians face surreal challenges – hit our screens. He talks to Kerry Fowler about the secrets of its success, the weirdest food he’s endured and his surprising kitchen skills.

What’s your idea of a fun night out?
Going for a curry with my friend, comedian Tim Key. He likes to start the meal by slamming his hand down on the poppadoms to break them up… I do like a food with an action or something in it: surprise jacket potatoes, a fortune cookie, Kinder eggs, scotch eggs. I’m quite fickle about what to drink. Last week I thought I liked whisky. I was in Aberdeen, went to a whisky bar and thought ‘I’m a whisky drinker’. Last night it was gin and tonics. And I do like Cadbury Seven Cups (instant hot chocolate).
What lessons have you learned in the 10 years of making Taskmaster?
I don’t think I will ever run out of ideas for it. Over the past 10 years I’ve learned that I have the unusual skill of being able to come up with scenarios for comedians. I love doing that and feel lucky to have carved out a living doing this peculiar thing. I’ve also learned I can eat anything without flinching and there are no boundaries for me on the screen.

What do you think has been the secret to its success?
Humour is pretty universal. At the beginning we were told this is a very British show, but I don’t think that’s true. We have countries all over the world doing it now. The principle is the same: five humans letting their guard down, doing their best and failing. Failing is really funny. We try to be kind to people – we are laughing at them but laughing with them too.
"I’ve learned I can eat anything without flinching and there are no boundaries for me on the screen"
What rules do you work by?
I don’t mind a bit of ego on the show. What they have to be is a team player. We’ve had plenty of alpha (mainly) males, but it levels out because they have to let other people speak and shine. We can cope with pretty much anyone. But we do have a rule of no unpleasant people, please.
What have been the food highs and lows on Taskmaster?
Sally Phillips made me ‘Marmite’ using absinthe. It was the first time I’d tasted it and it had quite an effect. Sue Perkins gave me sausages made out of fish and that worked: she can cook. You can tell who is good when you see them in the kitchen. Julian Clary is very handy; Tim Key utterly useless. Some people revelled in making me eat horrible things: Lou Sanders made me eat burnt pornographic magazines. Noel Fielding made a sandwich of my own hair. The worst? Tim gave me quinoa, the one thing I can’t stand.

What about the Taskmaster’s skills?
Greg Davies, the Taskmaster, is very good at manly cooking. We went camping once and he is great at cooking on the fly. I think he buys the finest ingredients, the best meat – that’s his trick.
How are you in the kitchen?
I’m limited in my cooking ambition and ability. I’m happily married and my wife is good at cooking, which is so old-fashioned, I know. Basically, she does the cooking and I do the washing up. My one area of expertise, though, is toasties. There will always be a lot of butter on the outside, a lot of sauces and interest on the inside: prawn cocktail, meatballs, fish, Nutella, Biscoff…

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I love being the middle child: it’s freedom. I’m in a band called The Horne Section and there are three of us who are all the middle of three boys. In a family there’s so much pressure on the eldest one – my wife and I are trying not to do that – but automatically she or he is the first person to do everything. The poor eldest girl or boy is discovering everything first, while the middle one has the path already clear for them. And the little one is so mothered and fathered and clung on to that the middle one is free to do what they want. I’ve always felt completely free to do this stupid job…
What’s your best life advice?
The way to live well? Getting on with things, getting on with people and not looking at your phone too much. I have three boys, two of whom are teenagers and the youngest will be soon. We think about them a lot as they grow up, seeing them being all-right people. I’m going to sound really dull but I think people should be kind and respectful. And not comparing yourself to anyone else… It’s the key to being happy. Comparison is the thief of joy.
An Absolute Casserole: Ten Years Of Taskmaster by Alex Horne and Jack Bernhardt (Quercus £20) is out now. Tickets for Taskmaster: The Live Experience are now on sale.
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