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.
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