Taskmaster star Mathew Baynton has opened up about the "sadness" he felt about one part of winning the beloved show.
Last week Baynton was crowned Taskmaster champion after competing in the 19th season of the show alongside Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Rosie Ramsey and Stevie Martin.
Speaking to Metro, the Ghosts and Horrible Histories actor shared his thoughts on coming out on top of one of the best seasons ever, saying: "I’m just really happy. I was having so much fun."
Describing his thought process while he was competing on the show, Baynton said he wanted to win as it meant he would get to come back and take part in the spin-off series Champion of Champions.
He said: "I did start thinking, 'oh, it would be really nice [to win]' because winning means a repeat of the experience. The number one thing about winning is thinking, 'Oh, great, I get to go back'."
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On why he would feel sad to come back for an All-Star special which sees past winners return to the show to compete against each other, Baynton said he would miss his season 19 co-stars.
"I guess the only sadness about getting to go back is that I won’t be sat with those guys," he said of his fellow contestants, adding: "Because they were so much fun."
On the fan response to season 19, which was widely praised by audiences as one of the best seasons in a while, Baynton said he was relieved.
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"It’s a huge relief when you dare to take a peek and find that people are saying nice things," he said.
So far there have been three editions of the Champion of Champions and the most recent season saw comedian Dara Ó Briain take the win back in 2024.
Taskmaster airs and streams on Channel 4.
Read more Taskmaster news on our dedicated homepage
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
