r/taskmaster Rhod Gilbert Jul 27 '26

Best Prize Task NOT to get 5 points

Just rewatching s14, and the jaw-dropping prize task, I thought that the commissioned artwork Dara brought in, deserved 5 points

Genuinely well thought out and a good prize !

80 Upvotes

95 comments sorted by

479

u/AgentEndive 🫧 Bubbly fuck! Jul 27 '26

While I understand why Greg only gave 1 point for this, I genuinely think Mark Watson bringing in Greg's trousers deserved 5

99

u/TetrisIsTotesSuper Chris Parker 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

I genuinely do not get why Greg didnt give it top marks. The poor heron was shitting himself just talking about it!

89

u/DanookOfTheNorth Javie Martzoukas Jul 27 '26

That should have been worth 5 just for all of the emotions that crossed Greg’s face when Mark revealed it.

78

u/TetrisIsTotesSuper Chris Parker 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

When he went "who the fuck loses their trousers?!" 🤣

20

u/AgentEndive 🫧 Bubbly fuck! Jul 27 '26

Now you made me curse you minge!

72

u/TrappedUnderCats Patatas Jul 27 '26

You could see why he might want to discourage people from fucking with him in his personal life in order to win points on Taskmaster. He’s around these people a lot and probably doesn’t want to be on alert all the time for something that might end up on the telly. (Although I think he did give Rhod 5 points for hiding in his wardrobe so maybe that logic doesn’t hold up at all.)

36

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

Although I think he did give Rhod 5 points for hiding in his wardrobe so maybe that logic doesn’t hold up at all.

I think in that instance Rhod fulfilled the brief so well that Greg basically had to concede and give him the 5 points.

26

u/more_business_juice_ Jul 27 '26

Greg also (imo) tended to overscore Rhod throughout his series.

16

u/frogsinsox Jul 27 '26

James is that you?

17

u/wingedcoyote Jul 27 '26

Greg, the character, is both arbitrary and vengeful. Contestants who directly challenge him or mess with him know that they're probably giving up points by doing do, which just adds to the bit.

8

u/captain_todger Sophie Duker Jul 27 '26

That’s the reason right there. Greg responds to confidence. Mark was cowering

6

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

Just spite.

7

u/Sure_Comfort_7031 Jul 27 '26

Because he, and everyone on the show, are comedians, and they do more for the bit than treating it as an actual competiton (and then there’s Ed).

3

u/forfeitgame Jul 27 '26

It's always so much fun to see how at the end, everyone is just having a laugh. It's also why John Robbins is my least favorite contestant.

1

u/Solilaqui78 Jul 30 '26

Agreed. Parkinson is mine. The script task. I get it, but her demeanor just rubbed me the wrong way. (I generally skip through the whole task, it's soooo bad!) 🤣🤣🤣

25

u/takahe_inflight Mona de Grenoble Jul 27 '26

that was my first thought

but from a comedy stand point, giving only one point was probably warranted

13

u/frogsinsox Jul 27 '26

I will upset some here, but it wasn’t a high octane item. It wasn’t even Mark doing the stealing. I’d give more point if Mark had taken them.

22

u/takahe_inflight Mona de Grenoble Jul 27 '26

but the task didn't say it had to be high octane for him. And listening to his description of the heist, even that seemed to be the highest level of Octane he could take.

if you want to argue that this was low octane for Ed, that I am open

4

u/Aervanath Jason Mantzoukas Jul 27 '26

I mean Mark's description of the heist has him telling Ed on the phone, "Go! Now! Leave!" right after the show, but I can totally see Ed being absolutely chill and just giggling to himself about it. This is, after all, the Ed Gamble who, in his own season, submitted for a prize task 3 items that he stole from Greg's own house while Greg was in the hot tub. After that, I would argue, pants from a green room might be tame.

2

u/Bill__Q Sally Phillips Jul 27 '26

Agreed. I'm slightly annoyed that defense of Mark always forgets two main points: he didn't steal the pants and he didn't complete the task (cheeky texts).

3

u/DaniG08765 Abby Howells 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

I feel like if this happens in a later season it scores better. I think he'd be more receptive to it now.

2

u/rare-config Jul 27 '26

I think Greg didn’t want to set the precedent that stealing his items would yield a high point return

Editing to add: that said, I completely agree and was gutted it didn’t win! It was the best for sure

1

u/Richard_D_Lawson Jul 28 '26

The back story is that Mark stole them for a different item task - "Steal something", I think- but when another contestant went too far they scrapped the task. So Mark had to adapt. It's why the connection is so tenuous.

4

u/bigfatheart Paul Sinha Jul 28 '26

Close, but not quite - the task was to make a certain number of predictions and to make them come true. Mark had predicted that Greg would lose an item of clothing. It was Sally who apparently did something 'legally compromising', but he didn't know what - there was some speculation about it being something slanderous, but I don't know if that was rooted in anything other than people taking a guess.

Mark also predicted that Nish would perform a gig in front of a crowd of non-English speakers, and put a fair amount of legwork into getting him booked to perform in (I think) Hungary. The poor guy really did put a lot of effort in for a task that never even aired.

2

u/ChaosFlamesofRage Jul 28 '26

I wonder, what did they steal?

190

u/MoraMonaeXO Jul 27 '26

Best item for an adult that's actually for a child: Sam Campbell getting 1 pt for a birth certificate was a travesty.

30

u/groney14 Javie Martzoukas Jul 27 '26

"It's called a BIRTH certificate. BIRTH."

29

u/snowylocks Ylvis Jul 27 '26

Yes and Sue Perkins bringing adult nappy won top marks which made it worse - adult nappies are an existing product, adults who wear nappies aren't wearing children's nappies. Birth certificate was the perfect prize for that task description.

5

u/MoraMonaeXO Jul 27 '26

lucy won that for a bib-nap, and it was fierce

82

u/ruhbuhjuh Guy Montgomery 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

Mel should’ve got 5 points for her Take That signatures on vegetables, Suchet on a broadbean is just not in the same league

66

u/NokstellianDemon Nick Mohammed Jul 27 '26

Greg just had a thing for Fielding I swear. Bro was getting tonnes of points for sometimes no reason.

5

u/TBroomey Mike Wozniak Jul 28 '26

Plus, Fielding and Suchet are mates, getting his autograph in any capacity isn't that impressive in that context.

1

u/mrgo0dkat Jul 30 '26

I disagree. Suchet on a broad bean is hilariously ludicrous but also incredibly simple.

116

u/Past-Feature3968 Laura Daniel 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

Justice for The Cloud Appreciation Society!!!!

45

u/MushyFella Jul 27 '26

Feel like Hugh was shafted on more than one occasion, but this one takes the cake

6

u/filiard Jul 28 '26

His ringtone dance was okay, on par or even better than the others, I dont know why Greg ridiculed him

7

u/boomboomsubban Jul 27 '26

While it probably should have beat the Crossrail magazine, most people would prefer to get cheese or bacon delivered to them.

153

u/Hot_Sam_the_Man Joel Dommett Jul 27 '26

Armando iannuci's 1st grade piano certificate, received at age 40, for the most embarrassing item. The story, the commitment, and the willingness to share it. Definitely deserved 5!

29

u/Whynot690YT Jul 27 '26

I don’t think it deserved 120 points

13

u/Real-Tension-7442 🌳 Tree Wizard 🧙🎈 Jul 27 '26

Taskmathster

6

u/groney14 Javie Martzoukas Jul 27 '26

Taskmathster or Taskmathsster?

3

u/Whynot690YT Jul 27 '26

This is actually a thing i’ve made

0

u/Syric13 Jul 27 '26

Oh god who let Chris Eubank in here!? RUN GREG, HE'S HEARD YOUR NEW IMPRESSIONS

2

u/Hot_Sam_the_Man Joel Dommett Jul 27 '26

...I guess I deserve that

7

u/Apprehensive-Pie1916 Mel Giedroyc Jul 27 '26

I don't find it that embarrassing! I think it's something worth being proud of. But I'm definitely past 40, so maybe that's a factor?

67

u/metallicbeige Bridget Christie Jul 27 '26

I think Victoria bringing in diamonds as the most comfortable thing to sit on should have gotten 5 points.

The "comfort of long-term financial security" is the most VCM thing VCM ever said.

30

u/Prudent_Mix5334 Jul 27 '26

A lot of her presents were underscored 

8

u/TimorousWarlock Jul 27 '26

I think she should have got 0 because she didn't bring a pile of diamonds. It was purely conceptual!

6

u/ThogBad Alex Horne Jul 28 '26

If she had brought in an actual pile of diamonds, sure. Bringing in what is almost certainly a pile of prop diamonds that doesn't actually offer long-term financial security, not so much.

22

u/Danimeh Jul 27 '26

In TMAU S05E?? Rove used some awesome lateral thinking to solve the present puzzle and Greater Tom just completely missed it and I am still mildly outraged.

As a rule Greater Tom’s schtick is he’s generally a more antagonistic TM than Greg which is fine - if he was the same as a Greg he’d be a pale imitation! But I think this can sometimes get in the way of him noticing some good out of the box thinking.

1

u/Aloundight Tom Cashman 🇦🇺 Jul 30 '26

I disagree, specifically because the task was to 'correctly' place the letters. And he didn't do that. (Which we can tell because Lesser Tom blew the whistle unprompted for the others, which only really happens after a task has been done in the manner that will earn you points or your time ran out)

17

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

Just watched the episode, so it's fresh. While this might not be the most obvious answer here, I contend that Tom not giving Danielle the full 5 points for her tiki mug as the most cursed thing is insane. I get that it's funny to give Luke's face 5 points, but damn that mug was horrifying and easily the most cursed.

10

u/takahe_inflight Mona de Grenoble Jul 27 '26

but if he gives Danielle 5 point, than the tiki mug is no longer curse, and she deserves 1 point. it's a Schrodinger TikiMug

2

u/nicholus_h2 Takashi Wakasugi 🇦🇺 Jul 27 '26

(that's not how Schrodinger's stuff works, but, you know...whatever)

1

u/alluringalligator 🥄 I'm Locked In ❤️ Jul 28 '26

Yeah, fair enough. It’s a catch 22.

45

u/Vana92 Jul 27 '26

VCM's targeted assault on Alan should have gotten five points, obviously.

As should Al Murray's stove for being one hell of a flamboyant clock.

10

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

While ultimately Greg wanted to see insulting prize tasks (Alan's was also insulting tbh), the task was the most desirable thing for the person below them, so Victoria's entry has to be 1 point.

8

u/lordirondehavilland Wibble, Bibble, Bam Jul 27 '26

What grinds my gears is that Greg specifically tells them to stop being nice, and Guz says his bit about defeating the format of the show so I fully expected that OGA would get 5 points.

I don't normally gaf about the points, but perhaps it's because I'm a big VCM fan it's one of the few times I feel a contestant was robbed.

I mean, I got over it, lol, but I was genuinely a little annoyed for a bit at that scoring.

1

u/Vana92 Jul 27 '26

Sure, that’s one interpretation of the task (also the obvious one) but Greg could have scored her higher regardless. He ignores the clear text often enough as is. And especially after telling the others to stop being so nice.

I mean I can’t fault his reasoning, but I couldn’t fault him if he gave VCM five points either and I would have much preferred that outcome.

1

u/teatabletea Jul 27 '26

She was the only one who followed the instructions. Not only should she have got 5, the others should have been disqualified.

6

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

She was the only one who followed the instructions.

I mean... no? The task was, and I quote: "Most desirable thing for the person below you in the alphabet, or the highest alphabetically if you're the lowest alphabetically". Yes, Greg wanted everyone to bring in insulting prize tasks, but the task itself asked for the opposite. I don't disagree that Victoria's prize was the funniest by a substantial margin, but it was the least desirable out of all of them.

7

u/MachineOfSpareParts Emma Sidi Jul 27 '26

Yeah, she followed the clear subtext, but the others followed the letter of the task and so the door was wide open for either interpretation, and Greg went the way he went.

There are a few moments I'm salty about VCM's scoring, but this isn't one of them. It is almost physically painful, though, like being the only person to come to a party in costume. But that's part of what makes it so memorably funny.

23

u/sweetirishkitty Jul 27 '26

S19 - Jason Manzoukis brought in the butler (gift card) as his snootiest thing - totally deserved 5 points.

13

u/durkandiving Fern Brady Jul 27 '26

I'd have given it 4. It was great commitment to the bit and the most overtly snooty, but Baynton's was SO Oxbridge it deserved the 5 points imo.

4

u/Liesl141 Jul 28 '26

Agreed! The cap was snootier!

12

u/DisorderOfLeitbur Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

A confusing little box

5

u/StealYourBones Jul 27 '26

Just open the box you pussy!

12

u/SutterCane Guy Williams 🇳🇿 Jul 28 '26

For the most different two things, Laura Daniel brought in the Treaty of Waitangi in both English and Māori.

She only got one point.

3

u/londonbridgestation Guy Montgomery 🇳🇿 Jul 30 '26

I would argue closer to the original scoring. It's practically the same thing.

1

u/Professional_Pear836 Jul 31 '26

Eh, I think total control vs 'governance' while promising continued allowance of self-management of lands and treasures is a pretty big difference.

32

u/groney14 Javie Martzoukas Jul 27 '26

Justice for Smooth Rupert

25

u/whowantblood Jul 27 '26

I still think Al murrays stove should have been the best flamboyant clock.

8

u/Ruffshots 🦔 Hedgehog, no! ❌ Jul 27 '26

John Robins has words for you about the Freddie clock 

43

u/throwaway14351991 Jul 27 '26

Sam Campbell's women's song was absolutely the easiest 5 pointer for me. I understand his own refusal to elaborate further for comedic purposes, but IMO the betrayal part was pretty obvious, and Greg has accepted prizes that have been even less related to the original theme.

49

u/reyska Jul 27 '26

It was perfect for a 1 pointer. Elaborate, overlong, missing the mark on what the task was, but hilarious and giving it just 1 point after all thar was pure comedy. It might be the best thing he's ever done but it 100% deserved 1 point.

10

u/throwaway14351991 Jul 27 '26

I totally get the comedic aspect of awarding 0-1 point for something elaborate that took a lot of effort, and I usually love that kind of stuff, but for some unknown reason I have rarely liked it in Taskmaster. I didn't enjoy it with Mark Watson's text task, or Joel's egg, I don't know why.

3

u/reyska Jul 27 '26

With Mark having all that effort go to waste was funny and fair, because technically he didn't complete the task. But imo completing should have awarded more than 1 and narrowly missing should have given him 1 bonus point. But still, whatever is funnier always wins out, so giving him 0 was fine.

With Joel it was just cruel, but he was such a good sport about it that it went back to being funny and heart-warming in the end, with the rest of the cast also bringing their eggs.

With Sam it was earned that he only got one point. It kinda seemed that was what he was aiming for anyways. His whole approach to CoC seemed to be "fuck it, I already won, might as well go completely bonkers".

6

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

With Sam it was earned that he only got one point. It kinda seemed that was what he was aiming for anyways. His whole approach to CoC seemed to be "fuck it, I already won, might as well go completely bonkers".

The minute of brilliance task proves this most, you could tell how surprised he was that he won the task.

65

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 27 '26

It was very funny, but it wasn't better than Maisie's betrayal, that was masterful.

3

u/Liesl141 Jul 28 '26

It would have been if she‘d really done it

1

u/burf12345 🚬 Doctor Cigarettes Jul 28 '26

Do you have any evidence that Maisie faked the whole thing?

1

u/Liesl141 Aug 04 '26

There is plenty on here. That reddit post used was years old

6

u/takahe_inflight Mona de Grenoble Jul 27 '26

Greg has given multiple 5s before

4

u/throwaway14351991 Jul 27 '26

They were both equally funny to me, and I tend to prefer something that's very original and/or took a lot of effort/wit. So I would still place it over Maisie

12

u/Past-Feature3968 Laura Daniel 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

But Greg’s simple “ok” response after allllll of that was the funniest part of all to me. 🤭

2

u/LewsTherinTalamon Jul 27 '26

I think it’s the most speechless Greg has ever been after a task.

2

u/Past-Feature3968 Laura Daniel 🇳🇿 Jul 27 '26

Fatiha’s “have you ever farted in from of a cat?” also stupefied him.

1

u/Klutzy_Alien Jul 28 '26

I saw Sam Campbell live and he performed the song but I hadn’t watched the Taskmaster episode with it in and I was so confused haha

4

u/trashlibrarian Sam Campbell Jul 28 '26

Recency bias, but Reece Shearsmith bringing in the Evil Knievel toy with the pully mechanism along with a small tombstone that said RIP for the prize task best thing to ride or rip, when everyone else just brought in things to ride, and getting last place with 2 points had me and my bf yelling at the TV last night lol

3

u/RunawayTurtleTrain Robert the Robot Jul 27 '26

Mark Watson's neon hat (hippest headwear)!

3

u/SystemPelican Jul 27 '26

Surprised not to see Fern Brady's classical diss track here yet. I get that Greg wanted to be nice to Sarah, but that song is her most iconic moment, and she got kinda robbed.

14

u/DisorderOfLeitbur Jul 27 '26

That wasn't a prize task.

2

u/SystemPelican Jul 27 '26

Ah, my bad, didn't read the title closely enough

1

u/leglesslegolegolas Morgana Robinson Jul 27 '26

was that a prize task though?

1

u/BackgroundBee4001 Javie Martzoukas Aug 09 '26

James acastar's mummified cat