Characters / Taskmaster (NZ)

Warning: Beware unmarked spoilers ahead!

While we're listing these performers as "characters" for the purposes of this listing, please remember that they are actually real people appearing as themselves.

Click here to see the "characters" sheet for the original Taskmaster series from the UK.

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Main Cast

The Taskmaster

Jeremy Wells (The Taskmaster)

Appears in: Every NZ episode

"There's a lesson here for everyone: sometimes the key is not fucking around."

• Broke the Rating Scale: He usually scores the contestants' attempts on a scale of 1 to 5 (with zero for disqualifications). However, there were exceptions during series 1 where Madeleine and Guy were given 1.5 and -1 points on two separate occasions.
• Deadpan Snarker: No matter how bizarre the contestants efforts are, Jeremy responds drily.
• Embarrassing Old Photo: Angella's prize entry under the category of something that hasn't aged well is a floppy disk that contains a photo of an outdated hairstyle, which was of Jeremy Wells with frosted tips.
• Mr. Fanservice: In "Heat Stroke" both Laura and Matt submit nude photos of the Taskmaster for the prize task, showing that he's in very good shape to the audience's approval.
• Not So Stoic: Urzila actually manages to get Jeremy to double up laughing, with her awful painting of his mother in a live task.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Zigzagged. On one hand, Jeremy is quite stiff when he makes his final judgment, quickly shutting down contestants who say otherwise, and semi-frequently distribute points without giving a clear explanation^note According to behind-the-scenes reports, Jeremy does often review task attempts in detail but his bits usually get cut to give more focus to the contestants interacting with one another. But on the other hand, his scoring method is consistently based on effort and moral principles. His treatment of Paul is firm but ultimately respectful unlike any other Taskmaster to their assistant and does occasionally praise and defend him from the contestants' bullying. He's also likely to give out extra points (provided they put in the effort or out of pity) and willingly lets contestants swap their points for certain tasks.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Always well-dressed in a dark suit.
• Straight Man: To the rest of the cast, as Paul is routinely odd and the contestants all juggle ineptitude and strangeness.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: He's quite willing to give out pity points to contestants who fail spectacularly but put in effort. He also gave David Correos five full points after seeing the poor guy spend more than two hours untying shoelaces for a trick task.

The Taskmaster's Assistant

Paul Williams (The Taskmaster's Assistant)

Appears in: Every NZ episode

"Banter here"

• The Alleged Car: Paul's blue Honda Civic.
  Jeremy: The most surprising thing is that your car got up to 42 kilometres per hour.
• Bad "Bad Acting": Whenever the contestants roped him into doing tasks that involve singing and/or dancing, expect him to do so as flatly and awkwardly as possible.^note And deliberately for the former since Paul is a professional musician
• Beware the Nice Ones: He'll do whatever humiliating thing the contestants ask him to do, but if given the chance to compete against them, he'll switch off his doormat persona and play to win without any hint of humour or mercy.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: He sometimes respond to the contestants' questions with Alex Horne's own Catchphrase^note "All the information's on the task", although it's slightly altered into "All the information you need is in the task"
• Butt-Monkey: If a task requires something unpleasant to be done, Paul is often the one forced to do it. So far, he's been sexually objectified by Angella, Karen and Urzila, bullied by Guy Williams (his own brother), and forced to eat and drink noxious concoctions by multiple contestants.
• Not So Stoic:
  • Leigh Hart manages to crack Paul's facade in "My Uncle John" after serving him a surprisingly good cheese toasty. Paul reacts with genuine pleasure and cracks a real smile.
  • David also manages to crack Paul up when explaining that he wouldn't want to see a syphilis sign on his own wedding cake in "Completing the Set."
  • Guy achieves this in "Unbung" with his explanation of his 'festive fox' song. Paul has to look away because he can't stop laughing about it.
• Passive Aggressive Combat: When Urzila browbeat him into fetching her a knife to chop up some onions, he got his own back by getting her a butter knife.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: He dresses nattily in a white jacket and bow-tie.
• The Stoic: During "D.A.P.", everyone notes that Paul rarely reacts outwardly.

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Contestants

• Season One: Angella Dravid, Brynley Stent, Guy Williams, Leigh Hart, Madeleine Sami
• Season Two: David Correos, Guy Montgomery, Laura Daniel, Matt Heath, Urzila Carlson
• Season Three: Chris Parker, Josh Thomson, Justine Smith, Kura Forrester, Paul Ego
• Season Four: Bubbah (Sieni Leo'o Olo), Dai Henwood, Karen O'Leary, Melanie Bracewell, Ray O'Leary

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