Who is Steve Pemberton? Meet the Taskmaster season 17 contestant
Local tasks for local people? The Inside No. 9 star is ready to do battle for Greg's golden head.
Taskmaster is back for its 17th season, and any fears that it might be running out of top comedy talent to take part should be swiftly allayed by this year's cast.
There has been much excitement among UK TV fans to see Steve Pemberton in the new line-up, given his work on some of the most critically acclaimed shows of the past 25 years.
While he might not be as familiar to some international audiences, that's about to change when he takes on Greg Davies and Alex Horne's madcap challenges.
So, read on for everything you need to know about Steve Pemberton's career so far and what else he has been in.
Who is Steve Pemberton on Taskmaster?
Steve Pemberton is an actor and writer, who has developed a cult following for some of his dark TV comedies.
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He first rose to fame as a member of the sketch comedy group The League of Gentlemen, alongside Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson.
The troupe began life with stage shows, winning top prize at the 1997 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, before making the leap to BBC Radio 4 on On the Town with the League of Gentlemen.
What has Steve Pemberton been in before?
The League of Gentlemen went on to become the now-iconic TV series in 1999, running for three seasons and three subsequent reunion specials, as well as three sell-out live tours and a very meta 2005 film, The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse.
Pemberton continued to work with Shearsmith, with both men creating and starring in horror comedy Psychoville and anthology series Inside No. 9 – the latter of which is due to come to an end after nine hugely successful seasons later this year.
Elsewhere, Pemberton played the role of Mick Garvey in ITV sitcom Benidorm and had a key role in the first run of Happy Valley.
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Drama fans outside the UK may know him best for playing MI6 agent Paul Bradwell in Killing Eve season 3, and he was part of the cast of Steven Moffat's brilliant Doctor Who double Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
And that's before we get into his extensive guest roles, in everything from Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders to Good Omens and Horrible Histories.
Pemberton also has a stage career, appearing in the National Theatre's 2012 production of She Stoops to Conquer, the West End revival of Dead Funny in 2016 (which also starred Taskmaster alum Katherine Parkinson) and Martin McDonagh's jet-black play The Pillowman last year.
Is Steve Pemberton on X or Instagram?
While he is not on Instagram, Pemberton is on X – you can follow him at @SP1nightonly.
As the name of his handle suggests, he initially joined in 2014 (back when the platform was known as Twitter) for one night only to answer fans' questions about Inside No. 9. Thankfully, he returned the following year and is still going strong.
Taskmaster fans might also be interested in the chance to bid for tasks from the show signed by this year's stars, with money going to Derian House Children's Hospice – keep an eye on Pemberton's X account for more details.
Taskmaster returns at 9pm on 28th March on Channel 4. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. Visit our hub for more Entertainment news.
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