Kumail Nanjiani fires a t-shirt cannon in Taskmaster Taskmaster

Kumail Nanjiani joins 'Taskmaster' for Series 21

Originally posted on Nerdist | By Kyle Anderson | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 4:21 PM ET

Like a lot of Americans, during lockdown, with the world uncertain and my wife and I desperate for something to take our mind off of the panic, we discovered British panel/game show Taskmaster on YouTube. The deliriously madcap show pits five comedians against each other every season, competing in absurd challenges judged by the titular Taskmasker, Greg Davies, administered by the Taskmaster’s Assistant, series creator Alex Horne. Six years later, the show is still our source of comfort, and each year ups the ante in terms of silliness. For the next series, the show’s 21st, Taskmaster will add none other than Kumail Nanjiani to the cast.

Check out the series 21 announce video below.

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Nanjiani becomes the second comedian based in the U.S. to join Taskmaster. Series 19 had chaotic evil incarnate Jason Mantzoukas. Series 12 had American comedian and actor Desiree Burch, but she’s based in the UK so it’s less weird. Anyway, Oscar-nominee Kumail Nanjiani becomes the first Taskmaster contestant whom I’ve met in person. Fun stat.

Along with Nanjiani are comedian, actor, and writer Amy Gledhill (Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner 2024); BAFTA and Emmy award-winning writer, director, and broadcaster Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep); Presenter, broadcaster and actress Joanna Page (her from THAT storyline in Love Actually; and comedian and presenter Joel Dommett.

If you’ve never seen Taskmaster, I’m not overstating it when I say it’s the most delightful hour of TV. You can catch up on all of the previous seasons on the show’s official YouTube channel, which is such a great resource for comedy. Previous seasons have had some of the finest in comedians from across the pond, including (but not limited to) Aisling Bea, James Acaster, Noel Fielding, Rose Matafeo, Mae Martin, Sam Campbell, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith. Look, I could list everyone who’s been on the show but that’d take a while. It’s the best, and it has introduced me to a number of comedians and performers of whom I have since become a massive fan.

Taskmaster series 21 will air some time in the near future. Usually they do a series in the spring and one in the fall, so soon.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

This article first appeared on Nerdist and was syndicated with permission.

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