Joanna Page, the 48-year-old star of Gavin and Stacey, has emerged victorious in Taskmaster series 21, and she is already plotting her return. In a moment of pure elation, she 'mounted Greg Davies' golden head and rode around the stage' to celebrate her win. She triumphed over fellow comedians Kumail Nanjiani, Joel Dommett, Armando Iannucci, and Amy Gledhill in a tightly contested final that featured chaos with lint rollers and near misses with paint balloons.
In a post-win interview, Page admitted she was completely surprised by her victory, which she had to keep secret from her Taskmaster-obsessed daughter for an entire year. However, she is already preparing for her grand comeback. All Taskmaster winners are eligible to join Taskmaster: Champions of Champions, a show she describes as a 'nerdier version of Love Island All Stars.'
Planning the Perfect Costume
Page revealed that her preparation is focused on her costume. 'I'm already planning my costume. I've been thinking in great detail about it. It's made me laugh so much that my costume has gone down really for this series as being a minion,' she said. She explained that she chose a bright yellow outfit because she wanted something cheery, not realizing it resembled a minion until Ed Gamble pointed it out. Fans can expect a completely different look for Champions of Champions.
Behind-the-Scenes Shenanigans
Page shared that the show is the 'best show I've ever done.' During the finale, she used a lint roller on Alex Horne's belly button to collect lint. She revealed that she also targeted every crew member, lifting their tops to check their belly buttons. 'I was very shocked at how clean they all were. I don't think I got any lint out of anybody's belly button,' she said.
She also reflected on the 'bravery' task where she held worms and spiders. Watching it back, she was shocked by how hysterical she became. 'I remember in the moment I couldn't do anything apart from what I was doing,' she added.
Unseen Tasks and Future Series
Page teased that many tasks never make the final cut. 'You'll do about 11 tasks a day. I did a load of tasks which weren't even used. They could make another show of all the unseen tasks. I did something with some baked beans, and also something with an onion, which was not very pleasant.'
Channel 4 has announced the lineup for series 22, featuring Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie, Nina Conti, Matt Lucas, and Richard Ayoade. Page praised Isy Suttie and expressed excitement about Richard Ayoade's unpredictable humor. 'My money is on Richard,' she said, predicting he might follow in her footsteps.
Celebrating Victory at Home
Page plans to hide the golden Greg head in her wardrobe and send her children on an Easter egg hunt to find it. 'It should be: Find Greg's head, your time starts now,' she said with a laugh.
Taskmaster series 21 is available to stream on Channel 4. There is no release date for series 22 yet.
