Taskmaster moving from Dave to Channel 4 in 2020

It first aired on Dave back in 2015 and has since enjoyed nine full series over which its fanbase has grown exponentially.

After weeks of rumours that the series would soon jump ship to a mainstream broadcaster, Horne confirmed on Twitter that Channel 4 has picked it up.

In a statement, Horne reassured fans that the move would not affect the beloved format of the show: "We’ve had an amazing nine series on Dave and I’d like to thank UKTV for letting us do such ridiculous things for so long.

"Greg and I are looking forward to getting started on a new series for Channel 4 from next year. It seems like the right time to move to a channel with a broader audience and I can reassure people who like the show that it won’t be changing one bit and I’ll still be forced to do things no one should ever have to do."

The deal will see six new series of Taskmaster airing on Channel 4 across three years, with repeats heading to sister channel E4.

Greg Davies, the Taskmaster himself, added: "For the first time in our working relationship I agree with little Alex Horne. The nine series on UKTV have been a joy and I would echo his thanks to all involved.

"I do take issue with the notion that the show will remain exactly the same however as I have made it my personal mission to break his spirit. I will remain even handed with contestants of course, but it really is going to get unpleasant for him. Peace."

The latest series of Taskmaster aired on Dave from September to November 2019, drawing an average of approximately 1.3 million viewers per episode.

Dave (the channel) expressed its sorrow at losing Taskmaster in a series of humorous tweets:

BBC One had previously been touted as the frontrunner to take on the show.

New episodes of Taskmaster will begin on Channel 4 in late 2020