Stuck in hospital with so much stuff going on. Thanks for giving something to pass the time and give me a little smile :)

Nick Mohammed is very musically skilled, and has conducted orchestras on numerous occasions. He's a man of many talents, and without TM I'd only know him as Mr. Swallow.

Did you notice the first time that Nick, the guy dressed as a vampire, said his favorite kitchen utensil is a garlic press? I laughed so hard when I realized that. Did he think that through? If I were doing the classical music one, I would’ve performed the first eight notes of Beethoven’s Fifth by knocking on the table.

The Jon Richardson/Lucy Beaumont split was announced just a couple of days before this aired, so it was a complete, if unfortunate, coincidence, but I don't think it stopped the complete online comedy/Taskmaster fan community from gasping when Greg said the line about marriage breakups. Thousands of dropped jaws through the country, I think.

I look forward to seeing you react to Julian in series 16.

Sophie is the absolute right amount of mental

It's wild to me how much Steve has fallen off, pointwise. He really slayed the first two episodes and then took a nosedive.

I just got bad news today so your reaction couldn’t be better timed. ❤ thank you for the laughs.

Nick was in Ted Lasso, an Emmy winning show, as a main character. He is more famous for that.

'What's the craic?' Kinda means term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation. So you can, have the craic, be good craic. There is no such thing as bad craic but some situations/people could have no craic.

I feel you so much on being apprehensive based on Catsdown characters! Both with Nick and previously John Kearns, I couldn't stand their characters in Dictionary Corner, but thankfully the real person behind the act was great on TM. I know some people were also apprehensive about Morgana for the same reason.

Nick has become more recognised with his role in the hit TV show Ted Lasso.....

Spelled craic, we use it to mean fun usually as in someone or something is great craic. The way Joanne is using it here can be in place of what's the story or what's going on. Some people will just say an elongated story (often north Dublin) meaning what's up/happening.

I'd like to assure you that nobody in the UK knows Nick Mohammed for 'Mr. Swallow'.

Nick is also in Ted Lasso which is a great watch!

I know Nick from the series Intelligence, (starring along side David Schwimmer) and i loved him in that 😂 he seems to be a genuinely sweet guy irl too 🫶

A hollow tree is hollow without being enclosed.

I think Rhod Gilbert might have declared "A fish!" But then felt a little unsure and followed the string anyway.

I know they've said rigging the show is impossible because you can't predict what the contestants will do, but they can absolutely the pick tasks where someone does well for an episode.

It probably wasn't because of TM but John Richardson and Lucy Beaumont did get divorced after both appearing on the show

(24:25 - australian here) even though i watch cats does countdown, i knew nick from playing nate shelly in ted lasso whose characterisation and energy in the beginning of the show is pretty close to nick. going back to watch mr swallow was not a fun time though :/

In my mind, when I ponder what you're saying about the Fish declaration, Joe Brand would 100% just say what is it a fucking Fish? I watched them so far and even I can't recall everything every episode, still good fun! Judy never won an episode so at least Nick won one!

That live task was really funny, I enjoyed it a lot.

I do enjoy hearing your thoughts on Taskmaster . Nick wouldn't be the first to change viewers opinions . The tasks are clever and a test of the contestants humour and character on occasion . This one was a goody .

I thought the line about the marriages being ruined was a nod to Romesh putting his wedding ring up for the prize task a few years ago

I didn't get the orange ink thing until you mentioned it like three times. 😂 Eventually I went ooooh.

It sounds like I'm in the minority but I think Mr Swallow is hilarious.

I can't wait for you to see season 16, which is now my absolute favourite season.

I kinda enjoy Mr. Swallow.... haha

Apart from his 8 out of 10 cats appearances I know Nick mainly from Ted Lasso on Apple TV

Like you, I never liked Nick's performances as Mr Swallow, but he did fantastic job as Nate on Ted Lasso which really made me like him as an actor.

Solero, is a brand of ice-cream and fruit based ice-lollies. I might be wrong but I think Joanne did the ear pull sounds like gesture for the second syllable, if she didn’t I suppose it just seemed obvious to me that’s what she meant…though I agree that the beer first syllable was absolutely ludicrous.

Nick is way more known for his role as Nate in Ted Lasso

I think most people would know Nick as one of his most recent acting roles- Nat in Ted Lasso

I only knew of him like you from Catdown. Didn't get his Mr Swallow character at all but I really like Nick.

Regrettable the Marriage between Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont (both tm contestants) recently ended. However I doubt Gregg said this with this in mind.

As someone doing a maths degree, I'm pretty sure an open topped box would be considered hollow similar to how you calculate the volume the same whether its got a lid on or not. So geometrically speaking I think hollow would be the same.

The outtakes for this episode provide more context on Greg's hollow promise.

Won't lie, John squeezing oranges did do something for me. Very weird.

I forgot about the sound guy Neil, I thought you got Alex to record that at the end 😅

Yeah, my exposure to Nick Mohammed was never really Mr swallow. I knew him as Mr swallow unfortunately, but he is the first and foremost, an actor, so occasionally I would see him crop up on various programs, dramas, comedies, but I think that the rest of the world knows him best From being a very controversial character Nate Shelley in Ted Lasso but I’ve never brought myself to watch it. I’m sure it’s great. My dad loves Ted Lasso it’s just an American in charge of a football club😂

New nick fan here. Also the strings sound around 16:00 mins was a nod to inside no 9

I wonder if that's not the first time they had "sound issues" in a task so it wouldn't seem weird to the contestants in 17.7.1

I don’t know any Mr Swallow although I do have some vague memory of Nick Mohammed on 8 out of 10 cats does countdown from about 10+ years ago. Everyone keeps going on about Ted Lasso when referring to Nick and as usual I have no idea what that is, so I assume it’s on Netflix.

Just because of Nick, I amuse myself by imagining how would the WWDITS version of Taskmaster look like... :D

I wanna see them involve the crew more. On the other hand, that might just put the competitors on edge and while many of the best Taskmaster events were when the competitors were on edge, many others were because the competitors were relaxed. Probably best to keep it neutral in order to have both. Instead of the task, John should have put in £100. The guy's seen the show, he should know money prizes usually get points. Honestly, I think someone could do well by just entering £100 for each prize task and just bullshit your way into explaining how it fits the task prompt. Best thing to give to a granny? A hundred quid. The coolest blue thing? Nothing blue's cooler than a hundred quid in £5 notes. Creepiest thing? A hundred quid in £5 notes with the knowledge that they're smeared with unfathomable substances and many of them are likely to have been used to snort cocaine. Most awkward item for someone else to take home? A hundred quid inside a condom. Best liquid? A hundred quid's worth of chloroauric acid (dissolved gold). It could work for anything. Probably.

If you haven’t watched Ted lasso yet I highly recommend it. That’s where I know nick from.

So Nick demonstrated his classical musical skills on Ted Lasso, that task was perfect for him. I think i first knew him in Drifters, loathe Mr Swallow but i didn’t really associate him with it, I hate-love his Ted Lasso character but loved his interviews, and quite like him in Renegade Nell.

They have just announced an official live experience so maybe one day your dream will come true 😁💌

Nick was actually a conductor

I mostly know Nick Mohammed from a children's comedy sketch show called Sorry, I've Got No Head. (A thousand pounds!)

9:34 I don't believe you

… and then you have Nick in “Ted Lasso”

You’re right: it should be pronounced ‘conk’. But you’re the only other person I’ve ever heard actually pronounce it that way

Solero is more of an ice lolly (called a popsicle in North America) than an ice cream

It didn't say you can't take the helmet off and paint it.

Your briefing idea certainly works from a competitive stand point but alex would never do it since he likes and feeds on that chaos from unprepared/caught off guard contestants :p

Not sure if Sara Pascoe’s Taskmaster appearance had anything to do with her breakup with John Robbins (I’m guessing her using his Freddie Mercury clock in a prize task didn’t help). I suspect his alcoholism might have had more to do with the breakup.

Probably a hint about Jon Robinson and Lucy Beaumont breaking up, which was announced right around time of filming.

rose matefeo as taskmistress ?

Poor Jon and Lucy 😢

Bridget Christie and Stuart Lee divorced officially 2023 but had been living apart since 2021 ... so not sure if it counts. Just Lucy and Jon Richardson to date, (although fun fact as many prob know, Sara Pascoe - series 3 - and John Robins dated for 3 years. 🥰

will u be reacting to taskmaster jr when it comes out ?

Joanne should have gotten one point for her prize. She made the boot NOT hollow anymore. And John was a bit robbed. Maybe they were concerned he would run away with the points. If so they gave up on that pretty quickly.

Ooo that's bad timinf as jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont split up. But this would have been recorded long before they split.

I think to get fish immediately you need someone lazyish but also quite sharp/witty so i reckon joe brand and maybe lisa tarbuck depending on her mood could have got it. Interesting point that there is no stereotypical indifferent contestant this time though. Still works well though Alex abs crew surely know how to pick a group :)

👍

Hello Neil

What's the craic? 😂

aww yiss, first

do we know if Fringe reactions will return?

I'm sure John will beat Darahs score, not only because Greg seems pretty generous, but also because Darah was paired with the two weakest competitors, and Sarah was a pretty strong competitor, stronger than any of the others this series for sure.

I don't get all the dislike toward Mr Swallow tbh,Nick cracks me up as him,genuinely impressive a lot of the time too👀🤷‍♂️👏😂😂💜

Don't be surprised about anyone winning an episode, all the broadcast location tasks, and some spares, being filmed well in advance. Note the same continuity preserving costume being worn by all contestants in their location tasks. Then there's much connivence / editing, to group the filmed tasks into biased but apparently competitive sets, add a couple of studio tasks, to add some semblance of competition, and anyone but an imbecile has a chance of claiming an episode win in the series.

John Richardsons wife has just filed for divorce after she appeared in series 16