Transformative Taskmaster | Ep04 – My brain is like spaghetti

VO
Hello and welcome to Transformative Taskmaster, a podcast by fans, for fans and about fans. This episode TK and Tasha will be talking about The Horne Section and The Taskmaster Live Experience. They’ll be telling first hand stories about these events and more, maybe it’s just me, but I think Tasha sounds a bit like Harriet Kemsley

TK
Welcome, Tasha, to the Transformative Taskmaster podcast!

Tasha
Hello. It’s it’s lovely to be here.

TK
Thank you so much for being here. Now, we have known each other for a little bit, and I am really excited to talk to you today about a couple different things.
And, when I asked our little group chat, you know, if you want to come on the podcast, like, let me know and let me know what you want to talk about. And you were like, I want to talk about why and how Taskmaster so strongly appeals to those people who are neurodivergent and how neurodivergence is approached in the show.
So tell me what, like what spoke to you about this?

Tasha
So, I mean, for me, I’m neurodivergent myself. I have ADHD and I’m currently waiting, awaiting my diagnosis for autism. And so I grew up watching a lot of game shows, and there wasn’t really any that made me fall in love with the game show, like the way Taskmaster has.
And I think for me, it’s just the way how everyone’s embraced, everyone’s different thinking styles. It’s not a traditional, oh this this is a correct way to do this, there’s a wrong way to do this. And I think there’s also there’s no social pressure or judgment from it. I actually often joke that if I had a 5’4” little assistant walking round behind me, I’d get so much done,
I’d get so much done. Like, I think everyone needs their own little Alex Horne.
And I mean, there is a structure, to the tasks and there’s a structure to the show, but I love that no one knows what someone else is going to do. And it’s a show and it’s and and, think that goes in. But like that reflects the community and that there’s a lot of neurodivergent people in the fan community, which then makes you feel safe.
If that makes sense? I feel like it’s, it’s an environment that I can be myself in, and it teaches me that it’s okay. I mean, I do have some examples if you’d want me to go through them? I’m quite happy to go through them.
So some of my contestant examples is one of the big ones is, my, my absolute angel Fern Brady, from series 14. So I loved that she had a she just said things how they were. She didn’t give her time to think. It just came out. And I love that because I do that all the time. My mouth is about three minutes ahead of my brain. It’s got me into trouble a few times, but at the same time you could see the logic in the way she did things.
And I think one of the other things was what I related to an awful lot, because when I first watched this, I, I hadn’t really gotten to grips with what having ADHD was like. But one of them was when Rhod Gilbert was on it. And I saw him just doing stuff, just not even thinking, just doing things.
Going in and throwing himself into it. Because that’s what I do all the time, and I don’t think about the consequences. I mean, I don’t think I’d go as far as tying Alex Horne up to a chair and forcing him to drink coffee, but it’s the way his whole behavior and the whole, could you just give me a minute to think? Because I say that to everyone 20 times a day? Just give me a minute, please, just let me think.
But, Yeah, I think that’s one of the, the biggest things for me. Is that it makes me feel included. It makes me feel included. It makes me feel safe. And I’m able, I’m able to see people like me on screen in a positive way.

TK
Yeah, representation is super important, for sure.

Tasha
Absolutely, absolutely. And Taskmaster is one of those shows that it doesn’t matter who you are, it’s about how you do the task. I, I mean, it’s not just neurodivergency, that they’re inclusive of, they’re inclusive of everyone, and it doesn’t matter.

TK
Yeah. Yeah, that’s been really refreshing, honestly. I mean, I know that Alex will sometimes talk in interviews and stuff about how in the early days of Taskmaster, there wasn’t a lot of, variancy for contestants. You know, like they only had one woman in the first series and all that kind of stuff, but I they, it’s something that they’re definitely aware of now and it’s something that they actively work to, to include now. Like, is being mindful of like, what, what type of people and the variety of people that they get on the show. And it’s, it’s definitely obvious even in so, like they just were just in New York last month and I got to go to the Q&A and one of the questions that they were asked was like, if you had to choose your lineup of five contestants from like, I think it was like, long dead famous people, or something like that, who would you pick?
And they were like, they were like, okay, let’s get like, Jesus. We’ll get like Genghis Khan. And then, and then Alex is like, okay, but we need like a woman now. {laughs] So like it’s definitely, definitely like at the forefront of their minds, which is really cool. To see that being, like, actively represented and, like, fought for and that kind of stuff, which is, which is awesome.
But going back to the neurodivergence specifically, I know that oftentimes either Greg on the show or like Ed Gamble on the The Official Taskmaster Podcast will say, you know, like, oh, I watched this task, and in my mind, XYZ is route one. And they always talk about route one, you know? And then it’s like the contestant will be like, oh, my route one is way different than your route one like that is not what I thought of at all. Like there’s absolutely no way I would have thought about that. And yeah, and it’s funny because like, especially listening to The Official Taskmaster Podcast, when they talk back through the tasks and, and Ed will sometimes ask the guests, like, how would you have done such and such task, or what would you have brought in for the prize task? And so, and usually he’ll share like, what he would have done.
And then the guest shares what they would have done. And that’s always something I feel like it’s, it’s normally something like, oh, well, my first thought was this. And then the other person is like, well, my first thought was something completely different. So it’s like, yeah, we, we really are. You know, a human race that just, all of our brains just work differently, and that’s something to be embraced for sure. And Taskmaster definitely digs into that.

Tasha
Yeah. Also, I mean, one of the things that I do also like about it is when there are insults from Greg. It’s never about, anything, that he could purposely hurt someone with. So he won’t talk about someone’s gender, he won’t talk about someone’s sexuality, he won’t talk about something that’s medically wrong with them. He’ll make a joke and say, you know, something like, are you stupid? But sometimes even I say that when I’m watching some of these contestants. But I’m thinking, why would you do that? I mean, with John Kearns, we’re not going to talk about John Kearns. [TK laughs]
But I love that there is that as well. I just wanted to put in there as well that a lot of Greg’s insults, are never personal. They’re always, performance based, which I think is nice, especially from a comedian.

TK
Yeah, yeah. And, I’m not sure if you’ve watched any of the other versions of Taskmaster, like the Australia or New Zealand. Those are, the only two I have. I have other ones that I’ve watched, which is like just about anyone. I’ve watched which is,

Tasha
I’ve watched a bit, I won’t, be horrible. There’s nothing wrong with them. Absolutely nothing wrong with them. I think they’re all doing a great job. It just doesn’t resonate with me as much. I don’t feel as connected to it. But there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just putting it out there. There’s nothing wrong with them. I think they’re all doing a great job.

TK
Right, well, I mean, it’s funny because, I was watching, I think, Australia at Taskmaster Australia, and they had Reese Nicholson on, and Rhys is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. And I was like, so hype to be like let’s go. Like we had Mae Martin, and now we have Rhys Nicholson, like, this is amazing. And, they actually do kind of dig into talking more about like, Reese is non-binary-ness. Especially because, well, for one thing, Rhys will be bringing it up and they’ll be like, you know, they’re like, well, just because I’m non-binary like you as a straight white man, like you can’t, you know, say anything, nah, I’m just kidding.
And then there’s one. there’s one episode where they’re filming in the house for a task, and Tom Cashman accidentally misgenders Rhys and then corrects himself, which is really nice. And then, I’ve, Rhys makes a joke about it, like, offhand, and it’s just like, a very, very casual, like, friendly type of thing, which is, you know, it’s like, yeah, we’re we know you’re going to make mistakes. It’s okay. Like, as long as you correct yourself, it’s okay. So I like that they, they like embrace that. That bit of you know we’re not always going to be perfect but we sure are going to try which is really, refreshing to see. Honestly.

Tasha
Absolutely. That, that’s nice. I mean, obviously my pronouns are she/her, but I do, I have a lot of friends who identify as trans and non-binary, and it is really nice to see that becoming just normal. And it is lovely. It’s nice to see they’re not considered this special breed of people that people don’t like. You know, [whispering] they can’t be part of society. We don’t talk about them. [normal voice] Like no, they’re normal people, leave them alone, they’re fine. And, as I said, as someone who isn’t doesn’t identify as non-binary or trans, even for me, it’s, it was so nice to see that on screen because, I mean, we’re all human beings. We all bleed the same. You know, it doesn’t matter who you are.

TK
Yeah, one of the, one of my all time favorite contestants, and again, like being, like an American, I don’t necessarily know a lot of Britcom people, like, in the first place. And so any time a new series comes out, usually I have no clue who, like any of them, are. And there, there are certain people that, you know, all happen to not like in, in this upcoming series.
I don’t even know what his name is. Mat. Something.

Tasha
Mathew Baynton

TK
Yes. So I actually know him because I just binge watched all of Ghost’s UK. And I was like, I know who that is! Oh my God. Yeah, but anyways, so, like, when Julian Clary came on, I had no idea who he was, which, now seems so wild to me that I wouldn’t know who he is. And I remember at the time when, his series came out, a lot of people were like, wow, they got Julian Clary, to go on Taskmaster. And I was like, I don’t know why that’s exciting? but like, I did a little research and I was like, oh, that is really exciting. Okay, like, let’s go.

Tasha
Oh yeah, the man’s a pioneer. It was it was so good. I don’t know if you find it as well, but you also find that because even as a Brit, there are there’s been so many times where I’ve watched Taskmaster and I’ve seen contestants and I’ve sat there and thought, I don’t know who these people are. Which is nice, though, because it introduces you to a lot more comedians and comedic actors. That are hilarious. Absolutely, they’re just so funny. Like, I didn’t know who Sam Campbell was, until Taskmaster. And I absolutely love, love him. He’s just this little weirdo, and he’s just brilliant. He’s just insane and I absolutely love him. You also find that after watching Taskmaster, and then you go and watch another show that it’s not. Oh, I know this person on Taskmaster from this show. It’s, they were on Taskmaster! And I think that’s really nice that you’re expanding your whole comedy circle of people. And I found that from the times that I’ve watched, because similar to you, when I’ve watched the New Zealand and the Australian Taskmaster, I don’t know who these people are.
But there’s been a few. There’s been times where I’ve watched it and absolutely loved the comedians on it, which I think is nice. I think it’s great.

TK
Yeah, yeah, it’s definitely it’s a lot of fun to I mean, like I said, I was just watching Ghosts and dude, there’s like a whole lot of people from Taskmaster. I was like, oh, Kiell, oh, Charlotte. Richie, oh, Lolly Adefope. I was like, I know all these people.
And like, even, you know, like, even like the, you know, because they have a couple characters that are just kind of one offs. And I’m sitting here watching Ghosts, my partner not watching Ghosts, but like kind of watching it, like from, you know, from his computer, like on my computer.
And he’s like, oh, it’s Jessica Knappett, and I’m like, are you actually paying attention? Like, what’s happening? So yeah, but now I feel like, you know, now that I’ve watched all of Ghosts, I was like, oh, you know, I would really love to see this person on Taskmaster. And so, yeah, but it’s also funny because like, I, I watched Kiell’s season, series before I watched Ghosts.
And so there was like so many inside jokes on the show. It’s like, and Kiell from Ghosts and I’m like, I don’t know what that means, but ok. But now, like, so, so like Mat is going to be on the, next series, series 19 and, I think like the Taskmaster Twitter account or something, posted a tweet that was like the five portraits of all of the contestants and Kiell

Tasha
oh, that was.

TK
And Kiell commented on it and he was like, why is there only four? Like, I understand this joke now because I’ve watched ghosts. So yeah, it’s a it’s it feels like very inclusive, you know, like not not just in the way that you can appreciate more inside jokes, but just in the fact that, like, seemingly all these people know each other and just embrace the diversity and everything and it’s, it’s pretty special.
Okay, so before we move on to our games section, okay. Do you have any other examples of, I know you’ve talked about Fern and Rhod specifically as contestants, but do you have any other like contestants or even fans that you have examples of, you know, being included in the, in the fandom and then the show?

Tasha
Well, not that I can think of off the top of my head.

TK
Great! Then we’ll

Tasha
I’m really. I’m really sorry. It’s.
TK
No, you’re good, I just wanna make sure

Tasha
Look, it’s the morning for you, but it’s the evening for us.

TK
Yeah. No, you’re. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t like, you know, and now for the games, and you’re like, oh, but I had more to talk about…

Tasha
No, no, no, thank you for asking, though, because we already discussed my brain is like spaghetti sometimes,

TK
which is so funny because my brain is like a sieve. So put our brains together, and we

Tasha
wooooh!

TK
make a whole pasta dish.

[intermission trumpet]

TK
Okay. So we’re going to play three rounds of fact or fanfic. Which, so we’re going to play three rounds of this.

Tasha
I’ve been really looking forward to this bit

TK
I’m going to read you a Greg introduction to Alex. So, you know, top of the show type of thing. And you’re going to tell me if you think it was a fact that this is something that they actually said or if it was from a fanfic.
And I’ve done a few of these now. I’ve recorded a few of these now with other guests, and it’s really funny because some of them point out that they’re like, oh, I know that that one is from, I know that that one is real because it was the title of a fic, and I was like, that is so weird to wrap my brain around, but I see it.
Okay, okay. So number one. And next to me, with his boundless enthusiasm and optimistic, can do attitude that I couldn’t despise more if I tried, it’s little Alex Horne.
Tasha
Ohhhh, I’m going to go with fact.

TK
Yes, that was a fact.

Both
Yay!

Tasha
I kind of picture, trying to picture Greg saying it might have.

Tk
Yeah. Yeah. It was from series six, episode six.

Tasha
Ohhh, the very special episode.

TK
The very special episode, yes.

Tasha
Very special.
Going to have that as part of my wedding vows. When I, if I ever get married.

TK
That’s a good, that’s a good one. All right, next one. And next to me, he’s a desperate, nervous twitch of a man, but he’s all mine. Oh, who is it? It’s little Alex Horne. Oh.

Tasha
Ohhhh, no you see it sounds like something Greg would say.

TK
Yeah, that’s the tricky part isn’t it

Tasha
But it’s the ending. It’s the ending. It’s the ending part.
And he’s all mine. Ohhh, God.
I’m going to go with fact?

TK
Yes.

Tasha
Yay!

TK
Yeah. That one was from series seven, episode five.

Tasha
Okay, okay,

TK
okay. You got two out of three. All right, all right. Last one.

Tasha
Do I win a prize?

TK
Yes. You do. You win a little trophy, Actually, I will

Tasha
Ohh, yeah!

TK
write that down right now, so I don’t forget. Okay, last one and to my left is a man who once asked me in confidence if it counts as cheating when he gives his dog little kisses on the mouth. It’s little Alex Horne.

Tasha
Oh, oh, oh, Oh, God. No, because he loves that dog.
[TK laughs]
Oh, geez.
Ooohhh, uhhh, fact.

TK
That one is a fic.

Tasha
Aw, Oh, that was so good, though. That was really good. It sounded like something Greg would say.

TK
Yeah, that’s the problem with this game, is that all of the fics sound like something Greg would say

Tasha
We, ah, well ah I thought, oh, I did think that I it’s the fact that I mean, Alex, he’s obsessed with that dog.
He, I mean rightfully so. But he loves that okay.

TK
Yeah. Yeah. That one was called A Positive Trend in the data by Kim_Tey.

Tasha
Oh. Okay. Yeah. Right. Cool.

TK
Well, you get a trophy anyway, so good job.

Tasha
Oh, yay!

TK
All right, so moving the conversation along, I want to talk to you about The Horne Section TV show.
Now, for those people that are going to listen to this, that have not watched The Horne Section TV show and don’t know what it’s about, can you give us a little, a little like, overview of of what the show is?

Tasha
So, The Horne Section, TV show, it follows Alex playing a fictionalized version of himself with his band, The Horne Section, and it’s him trying to pitch and create a TV show to channel four that’s away from Taskmaster. And it’s just very funny. It’s surreal comedy is very meta humor. And it gets a little bit confusing in parts, but it’s very, very good.
And if you haven’t watched it, I would suggest watching it.

TK
Yeah, I highly recommend watching it. Now you

Tasha
Absolutely.

TK
You mentioned that it gets confusing in parts, and I think that part of this. Podcast Cat is yelling at me.
[intermission piano]
it’s kind of it’s, it’s a little bit meta.
And the premise of the show is that Alex wants to do something that’s away from Taskmaster. But in, in writing that into the plot that ties it back into, this is related to Taskmaster, which he did not need to do in the first place.

Tasha
Absolutely not, absolutely not, if you pull it apart, it’s incredibly clever what he’s done, I actually wrote a very, very long analysis of this for my uni project.

TK
That’s amazing

Tasha
It’s, I pulled everything apart. It’s, it’s very good, but, yeah, it does get a little bit confusing, I think, because one of the things that he also does is that he mixes real life people that he knows to play a character with different names, and they’re meant to be different people.
But then there are others who, they’re just playing a fictionalized version of themselves. Like he brings his a, he brings his real life wife into it, and Rachel is playing a fictionalized version of Rachel and the same with the band. It’s just their personalities pushed up by about ten notches. And so they’re really, really extreme. I mean, even the fact of, he brings Greg into it as well, which sort of goes against the whole point of the show of I want to pull it away from Taskmaster, I want to be recognized, oh excuse me, for my own talents and you know, oh this is I know I created this show, but it’s not mine. That, that’s the vibe you get from this version of Alex. And this is why it gets slightly confusing.

TK
Yeah. And I think part of that is, is that he creates for the show this, this character for Greg, who is not quite The Taskmaster but is also not quite just Greg Davies.
It’s like somewhere in between. So, it’s like it’s the character that Greg becomes when he’s like when he’s not acting as The Taskmaster, but it’s like Taskmaster adjacent. So like kind of almost like what they do for their socials, you know, like they’ll, like Greg will post a picture of the two of them, like, on the beach or something.
And he’s like, oh,worst day of my life, which like, obviously he’s having fun with Alex, like in real life. But you know, his like his Taskmaster-ish persona, you know, can’t be can’t be like showing through, you know, God forbid. And so I think it’s one of those types of things, where he, so he has to play this character that’s like not quite himself, but not quite The Taskmaster.
And somewhere in between, which I think is a character that he is used to by now, by this point, because of all of the stuff that they do together outside of recording in the actual studio, but that’s still Taskmaster adjacent, like going to Q&A’s and, and doing well, I guess I was going to say doing podcast, but I feel like doing podcasts normally is just Greg being Greg.
But yeah, doing like interviews relating to Taskmaster and doing like social promotions and stuff like that. So it’s it’s definitely, it’s very interesting, the dynamic between like, all of them now, I sadly live in America, which means I have not been able to go see a Horne Section show in person. I’ve listened to the whole podcast like twice. I have listened to their songs on repeat. I’ll wake up with Chris Hoy stuck in my head, which is my favorite song for some reason.
Tasha
I know I get that, I get that

TK
So

Tasha
I usually get less is more or less is more. I get stuck in my head daily.

TK
That’s a good one, that’s one of my top three for sure.I love less is more

Tasha
definitely.

TK
So, as someone who I know you’ve gone to Horne Section shows in person, how would say that Alex’s dynamic and interactions with the band compare to that of him and the band in the TV show?

Tasha
I think in the TV show, it’s still a very different version of him, is, that he is on stage, and I think what people do is you need to separate the TV show and the live show because the live show and the TV show, all of their personalities are different.
On stage, obviously, I’ve seen Alex a number of times. He’s quite confident, he’s a little bit cocky. He sort of just winds the band up and he’s a bit rude to them, he’s a bit mean to them in a playful, tasteful way. It’s very much commanding and telling them what to do. But not in a way that’s going to irritate them. So they’re all laughing. They’re all joking. Whereas in the TV show, it’s, it sort of starts out that he’s got no control over his band and they all sort of laugh, not take the piss out of him. Sorry. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to swear.

TK
No you can, you’re okay

Tasha
Sorry. Okay. They sort of take the piss out of him and then near the end, he gets really bossy and a bit bratty, and they just get annoyed with him and it’s just like, that’s it, we’re done.
And he has to come crawling back to them again and saying like, yeah, so I do think it’s very, very different from the live show and the TV show.

TK
Yeah. I mean, as, as someone who practically only knows Alex from a subservient, low down position type of, you know, character, you know, from the Horne Section TV show and from interviews and from Taskmaster, obviously.
It is quite jarring to me whenever little snippets of him being like, persnickety pop up here and there

Tasha
really, really bossy.

TK
Yeah, I mean, it’s I think it’s I wish that I had more of it because I think it’s amazing and it’s so funny, but, you know, like, I’ll even be listening to, like 12 days of yoga and like, this is Mark’s song, like, Mark is the one that sings the main bit, but like in the background, you know, like Mark will be like warrior one, warrior two, warrior three. And in the background you can hear Alex say, make your mind up, mate. I’m just like, okay.

Tasha
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And it’s I mean, that’s a very similar relationship with the TV show. Is that he butt heads with Mark quite a lot. I’m not sure why. I’m not sure why. I think it might be down to the fact that Mark has quite a strong personality. He’s very self-assured. He’s very self assured, he’s very sort of, he’s been in the game a long time. He’s worked with some amazing people. And Alex, this little comedian with no music skills is come along and try to tell him how to write his songs and how to play his instruments. He’s just. Yeah, he’s just not having any of it. And and it it’s weird because even if, in real life when you meet them it’s, I’ve met both of them. They still have that little that just that little tinge of conflict between them in a horrible way and a horrible, horrible way. Not in a horrible way. Sorry. Which is always just astonishing.

So there is little bits like that are that consistent across the the Horne-verse, shall we say?. Which is good.

TK
Yeah. I, I know that they have like semi jokingly but not really jokingly talked about doing tours in the U.S. but I know that like with six people plus, you know, a whole crew, which the, probably the crew bit would, would probably be easier to get together than the six of them at one time.
I know it’s like a really hard thing for them to do, logistically, but I really hope that I can see a live show of theirs one day because it’s like. It’s like, on my bucket list at this point. So maybe I’ll just have to fly over to London. One of these days,

Tasha
I think I think unfortunately, it’s it’s there’s a few things. There’s time, there’s energy. Because obviously they all have their own lives as well. And a lot of them have still quite young children. Obviously we know Alex’s kids are nearly teenagers, I think. I think they are teenagers, some of them, two of them? I don’t know. But a lot of them do have quite young children, and then they have jobs outside, outside The Horne Section as well. I think it’s also being financially viable.. Because if they do a US tour, they would have to take into costs, like a lot more costs. And I mean, I think sometimes it’s only just financially viable when they do a UK tour.

TK
Yeah. Which, makes since

Tasha
Yeah, but, but hopefully, hopefully in the future they will. They will do.
I mean, I know Mark has joked an awful lot about wanting to do a US tour, and I think he would. I think Mark’s one of those people that he would. But I’m not sure how the others would feel about it. And then Alex obviously has a million projects going on.

TK
Right. Yeah. Just, just the other day, the, so they’ve for people that aren’t aware, they have been posting every day, twice a day, actually, on their Instagram a Horndle, which is, like you have to figure out what song they’re doing and then they just, like, mess up the song horribly. But it’s really entertaining and it’s really funny. But the other day I commented, because like, someone post recording has put in, like a, live transcription of whatever they’re saying and the transcription is really good. Like, it’s definitely helpful. Because you can’t understand half of what Alex is saying in the first place anyway, and I commented on it and I said, like, who? Who does the, you know, the transcribing or whatever it is for this, because whoever it is is doing an excellent job. And they replied to me, and I think it’s like, more or less known, that like Mark is in charge of their socials. And so, so Mark replied to me and he said, would you believe it if I told you it was Alex?
And I said something like, would I believe it if the man who has no experience in knowing what relaxing is, has done all of this work. No, no, it would not surprise me at all.

Tasha
Oh my God. Like, he’s just like, he doesn’t know how to relax. I do worry about him sometimes.

TK
Yeah. I mean get it

[talking over each other]

Tasha
Dude, just have beer and calm down. Like what’s wrong with you. Just take a deep breath, okay?

TK
Yeah. Now, going back quickly to the, The Horne Section TV show. And I guess this could also apply to, to Taskmaster itself. Do you have any theories on why Alex would choose to put himself into a low down position of power. And like kind of defer to Greg as like do you think it’s just like more fun for him that way or like it’s just because sometimes people have,
What are they called? Character actors, is that what they’re called? Where like, you’re really good at, you know like one like you’re really really good at one. Like Timothy Spall is someone that comes to mind that’s, you know someone that like they’re really good at playing the evil sidekick. You know, like do you think that’s kind of what Alex is going for or do you think there’s something else like why

Taha
I don’t know. I mean, I know what I want to say, but I it’s going to come across as very horrible. And I don’t want to say it because I have a lot of respect for this man. But I don’t know, I feel like sometimes it’s a reflection of his own sort of like, self esteem and self-confidence and the he is this amazing person who’s done an amazing job and he’s very successful, and he could be a bit more cocky and a bit more confident, but he still sees himself as as he’s already said before, like a beta male, because he’s not stereotypically like Greg or, he like even he even, like, compares himself to Tim Key quite a lot. He’s his best friend, and I think it’s sometimes his, it’s, it’s almost a reflection of himself. And I do think, you know, obviously, I think when, when we think of the Little Alex Horne character. I think that’s very, very different to who he is in real life. Absolutely, absolutely do I realistically think that he’d be sitting down on Greg’s lap and giving him kisses in real life? Probably not, probably not, but I think when we think of Horn Section, Alex, I think that’s very, very similar to who he is as a person.

TK
Yeah. Just a little snarky. Very funny. Unapologetic

Tasha
Oh yeah, I think yeah, absolutely. And I think that I like that about that about. That he’s got that balance between the two.

TK
Yeah. Yeah I think I, I mean I’ve only met him in person technically twice. And both of those interactions were very short. But I feel like he’s from what I, from what I know about him and have seen videos on everything of like, Alex in the wild, is he’s very humble. Like he’s genuinely he is a very humble person and I,

Tasha
And you know what, oh, sorry, I took maybe.

TK
No, I was just going to say, like, I think, I think both him and Greg, especially when they’re together doing Taskmaster stuff, are both very humble in the way that, like, it seems like they’re a lot more down to earth than they could potentially be. Like, as celebrities, you know, like they could not interact with the fans. They could not do all these social media promotions, you know, so they could choose to not come to New York and see what their, their American audience is like, you know, but like but they do and they I think they really appreciate their fan base, which is something that’s really special.

Tasha
Yeah. I mean, I’ve only met Greg. I’ve met him three times? and it was always very, very short. But he’s an incredibly busy guy. I mean, I don’t hold it against him. Yeah. It’s usually when he’s been coming out of shows. So I’m like, this poor guy is probably exhausted. But I’ve spent some time with Alex, in different situations.
And it is true what everyone says. He’s just one of the most humblest people you’d ever be in your life. Like, this man is literally worth millions, and he’s just still so kind and nice to everyone. Yeah, like he hasn’t let the money go to his head. I know there are. I’m not going to bad mouth people, but there are a lot of celebrities who, as soon as they started making a lot of money, became not great people, but one thing I do love about Alex is that he just hasn’t changed, he hasn’t become a different person because he’s got loads of money now because he’s got this little empire. He’s just genuinely still so nice. And he does have a lot of time for people, and so does Greg. But I feel like a lot of the time Greg is more recognized, and he sort of like recognizes that he is a celebrity.
And he knows like he’s fully aware that people are going to take photos of him and, and stuff like that. Whereas Alex I feel like, sometimes he doesn’t get that he is a celebrity. And that he doesn’t understand that there are people who want to take photos with him and want to talk to him and, and have that interaction, but he just doesn’t still doesn’t see himself as a celebrity.
Which I think’s so bizarre. It’s, it’s just mental to me. That is to say that, like, there’s a lot of times where he’s given out too much information about himself. And you sort of just want to shake him and say, Alex, like, stop doing that. Like, what is like, stop. This is how you end up with these situations.
So, yeah, I think there is just that side where he doesn’t get that he’s famous,

TK
Right. Now, so you live in London, is that right? Near London

Tasha
I do, I do, I live in Greater London, so I’m in London, but I’m not like Canary Wharf

TK
Right, yeah. So have you, you know, some, again, you know, I can’t go to Horne Section shows.
Well, I mean, I’m not with that attitude. But, it’s hard for me to go to a Horn Section shows, similarly, it’s not justifiable for me to go to The Live Experience just yet, because it’s still currently in London. Have you gone to The Live Experience? And if so, what is it like?

Tasha
Yes, I have, so I have been to The Live Experience. I actually went with some, some, when some friends from the US came over, one of them, one of them, you know, very, very well. She did miss you when she was over here.

TK
I wish I could have gone

Tasha
We did talk about you. We did talk about you a lot.

TK
Oh, that’s, nice?

Tasha
And we we we we did send lots of pictures, but yes, we did. I did go to the to The Live Experience. It was incredible. It was so fun. I didn’t I don’t know, I had quite low expectations of it because obviously when it came out was when it was sort of roughly around the same time there was the controversy with the Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow.

TK
Yeah. I don’t know anything about it but I heard it was really bad. That’s all I know

Tasha
Yeah. I’m not sure how much the Americans knew about this, but it was just, really bad. So I had quite low expectations of it. And when I went there, it was, it was incredible. It was, they, it’s like split into different parts. So you go in and you’ve got sort of a museum of things like artwork that contestants have made, props, pictures, things like the typewriter that was used in the original titles and things like Alex’s first whistle, which is in there.
It’s, it’s all really sweet. And there’s Tim Key’s reindeer skull. It’s, is up in, and things like their costumes. And then you have The House, in the middle, and then they have, like, a garden. So you have a caravan, like the caravan. And then in this big garden area, there’s a bar and, things like where you can throw potatoes in a hole from the very controversial Joe Wilkinson.
But yeah, it’s all really nice. And they have, like, Linda there, and then there’s a massive statue of Greg,

TK
and I think, the statue of Greg,

Tasha
The statue of it is, it is, it’s a very, it’s huge.

TK
That’s wild

Tasha
It’s huge. Yeah. They have to stop. They actually have a security guard there to stop people sitting on it, though, which I do find a little bit funny.
And the actual experience itself, is great. It is really good. Yeah. I, I can’t really give too much away.

TK
Yeah, yeah, no no definitely

Tasha
But like the actual experience, but it is really good. I was, I, I did win it.

Tasha
Nice. \

Tasha
There was a little bit of controversy about me winning it though.

TK
Oh no

Tasha
Yeah. I was a little bit sneaky on one of the tasks.
So I did win, purely through, like, I think I gained about an extra three points, and if I’d lost to the task that I cheated in, I would have lost. I would have come second. So I did, I did win, I couldn’t hold it in. I felt really bad. So at the end of it, we were in the garden having a drink. And I did reveal to my friends that I had cheated on it and I felt really bad.

TK
Awe, Whatever. I need that trophy!.

Tasha
But, yeah, I mean, there’s not long left. There is not long left is only a few weeks left of it. So if you know you are in the UK, absolutely, definitely go to it. It’s really. And even if you don’t go into The Experience, things like the garden and the caravan and the museum are all free.
So you could just go in there and walk around if you want to. You don’t have to do the experience. It was insane.

TK
I think by the time this episode comes out, it will probably have either moved or shut down. I’m not sure what their time frame is like.

Tasha
Yeah, I don’t know. I think I don’t even know what they’re doing with it.

TK
But yeah, because I think they mean to move it around. So like, the the day that we’re recording this, I think there’s only like a week left. So, it’s definitely not going to be like open anymore hopefully they’ll, they’ll move it around to different parts of the country. England isn’t that big is it? Like

Tasha
no, no, no it’s really no, I mean, you could fit the entire of England in the state into the state of Texas, so, we’re not that big.

TK
Well then, bring it to Texas or something. Or better yet, bring it to bring, to San Francisco, because that’s where I live and I really want to go

Tasha
It’s good. Yeah. I mean, it’s one of those times where I do feel very lucky that I live very, like in London. That it’s a lot of these things. I can just like jump on the tube and go to.
And I do feel bad for a lot of our, especially our American friends, because they don’t get this same. They say all the experiences that we do.

TK
Yeah. Yeah. I felt really lucky that we were able to go to New York City because I was like, listen, if they’re stepping foot in the U.S, like, I don’t care where it’s Maine or like Florida, you know, like I’m to go like, I can’t miss this opportunity.
So, yeah. All right. So we are, pretty much at the end of the, the episode here. And what we like to say is as ask our guests if they have any fan work recommendations, fanfics, fan art, fan vids. Like, what’s your all time.

Tasha
No, no, I don’t I don’t really have anything to plug. I mean, the only thing I can say is just.
If you have watched The Horne Section TV show, please do go and watch it. You can watch it. It’s on, I think it’s on super Max. But it’s, it’s on channel four. And if you are in the UK, they do still have loads of tickets left, so definitely go see them. You might even see my pretty face. At a few of the shows. And of course, just follow them on social media, TikTok, and keep interacting with them. And I obviously, as you said, I think The Taskmaster Experience will be finished by the time this goes out.

TK
Yeah, hopefully it’ll be somewhere else

Tasha
Bwe we we don’t know what’s happening with it. If it does move,l which fingers crossed it does go to that because it’s definitely worth the money. And it was incredible.

TK
Yeah for sure. Well, Tasha, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. We’ve loved having you.

Tasha
Oh thank you, thank you. It’s been nice to be here. I’ve never done a podcast so this was my first one. Well, it’s exciting for me.

TK
Wow, that’s exciting

Tasha
But yeah, thank you so much for having me. It’s been really nice to be here.

TK
All right. And, I’ll see you online.

Tasha
Okay. See you later.

Both
Bye.

VO
Once that was TK and Tasha discussing The Horne Section and The Taskmaster Live Experience you can read all of the fanworks mentioned in this episode right now by clicking on the episode description or by going to our website tftaskmaster.uk. If you have any questions, fanwork recommendations, suggestions, or anything else you can email us at fans@tftaskmaster.uk and make sure you subscribe to this podcast because next week TK will be talking with Little Alex Horne, it’s an episode you won’t want to miss