Legendary comedy star lines up TV comeback on Taskmaster as host says he would be his dream guest
LEGENDARY funnyman Jasper Carrott is being lined up for a TV comeback.
Taskmaster creator and co-host Alex Horne says the Brummie comic is on his hit-list of “old skool” comics he wants to sign up for the show, which Channel 4 renewed for another six series back in March.
Jasper still performs stand-up but keeps his work relatively low-key, favouring one-off regional dates rather than huge nationwide tours like his eighties and nineties hey-day.
But Alex is keen to bring him back to mainstream TV by offering him a slot of one of the five comedians on a future series of his award-winning show, as well as another big name from the past.
Alex said: “There’s a few old skool people who i’d love to have, like Jasper Carrott
LI think he’s fine, he’s not chasing things [career-wise], but I think Joe Pasquale would do it and I think he would be great.”
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Speaking to the Always Be Comedy podcast, he added: “But it’s a big conversation, because if you’re having Pasquale, you’re not having someone else and it’s ten weeks - do you want ten weeks of Pasquale? I don’t know Pasquale.”
Jasper, who is 78, has been branded one of the “godfathers” of British comedy, having performed huge stand-up tours and starred in hit TV series, including Canned Carrott and spoof police drama The Detectives.
Comedy icons Bob Mortimer, Frank Skinner, Julian Clary and Jo Brand have appealed in previous series of Taskmaster alongside up and coming comics, whose careers have boomed following their appearance on the show.
The series’ first ever Junior version will air next year with comedians and previous participants Mike Wozniak and Rose Matafeo taking on the roles of Alex and the Taskmaster himself, Greg Davies.
Rita's frying start
RITA Ora has revealed she’s the latest celebrity convert to air fryers.
But she’s not quite Nigella Lawson when it comes to using them – as she’s already wrecked three.
The Masked Singer judge will be mocked by her co-stars this weekend when she opens up about her kitchen mishap, as mystery celeb Air Fryer takes to the stage for the first time.
Rita, pictured with fellow judges Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross, has been pouring oil inside them like she’s preparing to deep-fry chips.
She tells show host Joel Dommett:“I’m new to the air fryer community. It took me a couple of months to work it out. I don’t think I was made for the kitchen.”
It’s best to avoid a dinner invite at Rita’s.
Claudia's slice of life
WHEN Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman come off-air, they aren’t discussing the contestants or their glitzy performances.
Instead, they argue about what topping belongs on a pizza.
Claudia reveals that every Saturday night, the pair lie down side-by-side in their dressing room as she tries to convince her not to order a Hawaiian.
She tells Mark Wogan on the Spooning With podcast: “My favourite game is trying to persuade Tess that pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza. We always end every show of Strictly with us lying on her floor.
“I have to take out her contact lens for her, because I love her and she only wears it for Strictly and doesn’t want to take it out.
“She’s only got one eye that works.
It's three and easy for them
IT’S going to be a busy year for Emma Willis.
As well as hosting new CBBC sustainable fashion competition Style It Out, and joining forces with husband Matt for Love Is Blind: UK on Netflix, I can reveal she’s been teed up for a third show.
The Voice presenter will return to front a fourth series of Cooking With The Stars.
She has presented the past three runs of the show alongside comedian Tom Allen.
More episodes were given the official go-ahead by ITV at the start of December, and the programme went back into production before Christmas.
Celebs on the show are paired with an accomplished chef to mentor them.
Past winners include Samia Longchambon, Dr Ranj Singh and Harry Judd.
The new series is expected to air on ITV1 later this year.
Radio Times on the podcast scene
DOCTOR Who and Line Of Duty will be among the first topics of the Radio Times’ new podcast, The Best Ever.
TV guests will go head-to-head in debates on pop culture’s biggest conversation points to decide which is the greatest, in categories from action movies to telly detectives.
Life in Oz is tough on farm
IF the contestants on Channel 4’s new reality show Brits Down Under thought they were going to have a laid-back outback experience, they should think again.
The group head to a remote farm to be put through their paces by owner Grant.
They aim to get employed on local ranches, earn cash and extend their Oz visas – but Grant promises they will be thrown in the deep end.
He warns: “Are they going to do some tough stuff? Yes, I’m going to make them. Why not? They’re here, they’ve been on holiday and that hasn’t been knocked out of them yet.
“They have got to get themselves in gear because if they don’t want to work, they can f*** off.”
Brits Down Under is on Monday at 10pm on Channel 4.
Glad it's back
THE BBC has confirmed the date that Gladiators will return.
The Nineties game show will begin its comeback at 5:50pm on BBC One on Saturday, January 13, with Bradley Walsh and son Barney as hosts.
The much-loved original series ran for eight years on ITV.
An early one for host Dan
DAN Walker has revealed he’s returning to the early-morning shift.
He will be waking up before the sun rises with a new breakfast presenter job, a year after he quit his role at BBC Breakfast following a six-year stint.
The radio host has swapped the telly screen for a recording studio as he takes on Classic FM’s early morning slot.
While he will still continue on his regular Channel 5 news programme alongside newsreader Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije, Dan will be setting his alarm extra early to make time for the new job with the music station.
He takes over from presenter Tim Lihoreau – who steps down after 12 years on the show.
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Posing in the recording studio, Dan told his fans on social media: “I need to dust off my alarm clock.
“I’m really excited about joining the brilliant team at Classic FM – massive job, but I can’t wait to get started on the breakfast show. See you at 6:30am.”