Presented by Greg Davies and Alex Horne (who also created the programme, originally as a show for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), the first series of Taskmaster was broadcast in 2014 on comedy channel Dave, before expanding its audience after being poached by Channel 4 in 2020.
Last year saw Dara Ó Briain triumph over Fern Brady, John Kearns, Munya Chawawa and Sarah Millican in Season 14.
And earlier this year the now-traditional one-off New Year Treat episode on January 1 saw Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah add a Taskmaster trophy to his mantelpiece.
This week will see the Season 15 launch, with another five competitors hoping to lift the single greatest prize in the history of television: the Taskmaster’s golden head glued to a small plinth.
Taskmaster will be broadcast weekly on Channel 4, starting on Thursday, March 30, at 9pm, and continuing for 10 weeks. It will also be available on the All 4 streaming service to watch at your convenience – where you can also stream all previous seasons and catch up on the fun.
Here’s who the bookies think has the best chance of glory.
. Taskmaster
The five famous faces hoping to take home the series 15 Taskmaster trophy. Photo: Contributed
1. Jenny Eclair
Standup and presenter Jenny Eclair became the first woman to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award (then known as the Perrier Award) in 1995. She is joint 2/1 favourite to win Taskmaster - meaning the bookies reckon she has a 33.3 per cent chance of winning. Photo: Ian Gavan
2. Mae Martin
The other joint favourite with odds of 2/1 is Canadian comic Mae Martin. The non-binary comedian, actor, and screenwriter has produced a number of standup shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, along with BBC Radio 4 shows Mae Martin's Guide to 21st Century Sexuality and Mae Martin's Guide to 21st Century Addiction, and television comedy series Feel Good. Photo: MICHAEL TRAN
3. Frankie Boyle
Arguably the most famous series 15 contender, Frankie Boyle is 3/1 to win - a 25 per cent probability. Best known for BBC’s Mock the Week, other television outings have included Channel 4 sketch programme Tramadol Nights, Frankie Boyle's New World Order and Frankie Boyle's Tour of Scotland. Photo: Contributed
4. Kiell Smith-Bynoe
British actor and comedy performer Kiell Smith-Bynoe is best known for playing one of the leads in the BBC One sitcom Ghosts - opposite Taskmaster alumini Charlotte Ritchie. He's 4/1 to win the show, equating to a probability of 20 per cent. Photo: John Phillips