Josh Thomas is back again in Taskmaster Australia. He spoke to me about the hijinks of performing these random and crazy tasks – which really captivates the audience.
Has the Taskmaster Australia experience been what you expected?
People watch Taskmaster and then want to go on it, and that’s how I felt. I wanted to have some fun on television again, because I haven’t done that for a while. I thought I’d be good at it and get redemption by showing everyone how smart I am.
Are the tasks as difficult as viewers would think?
Yes, it’s a hard show. The tasks are hard because you’re never quite sure if you’ve understood the instructions, which can be complicated. Sometimes they hide clues and leave things around that you need to work out. There’s no one you can talk to about it all beforehand or afterwards, so over the week you become less and less sure about anything being real!
Josh Thomas in Taskmaster Australia
Was there a particularly challenging task?
The one which was a puzzle. I couldn’t believe how difficult it was. I thought, “Who the fuck is going to work out this puzzle?” It was insanely difficult and then I worked it out. But then I returned to the studio to discover I hadn’t read all the information. It was all about figuring out what these ducks were saying, and I didn’t realise there was a ‘duck dictionary’ available. But it’s hard to describe such a task to people in a way that will make sense. They’re all so weird!
There are some similarities to reality shows such as The Amazing Race and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Would you go on any of those?
(Laughing) Everybody asks me this, but the answer is a definite no. I don’t want to be on television with a camera in my face when I’m hungry. But I guess they do get to eat on The Amazing Race?
Yes, but weird things like fried crickets and twenty-year-old eggs.
Well, I’d go on The Amazing Race as it seems like fun. Except I think you’d be tired the whole time. Most of these reality shows rely on you being hungry and overtired so they can get a lot of drama.
Josh Thomas in Taskmaster Australia
How did you get along with the other contestants? Did you form new friendships?
I’d never met Jenny Tian or Lloyd Langford before, but I’ve been out of the country for six years. But I’d say I’m now friends with them. I’ve known Wil Anderson for a long time and he’s such a sweet guy, and Anne Edmonds and I are close friends because we’re on the same team – we’re trauma-bonded!
On the show, you talk about chlamydia being a beautiful word.
Oh, it IS a nice word, but I only got one point for that. I guess chlamydia’s not really that nice. But I mean we’ve all had chlamydia, right? So, who cares?
What do you think has been the pivotal sliding door career moment for you?
In 2005 I won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Raw Comedy Award. The thing about stand-up comedy is that you go on stage and sometimes they hate you. It can be a brutal experience, but being told, “Oh no, you can do this!” in a profound way gave me some self-belief. Even though it wasn’t a career-boosting prize, it was probably the most career-changing moment in my life.
Josh Thomas in Taskmaster Australia
Remember way back when you were on Celebrity Splash?
I went on that show because I had to pay my tax bill. It was cool though, because I had six weeks of training with an Olympic diving coach! I also had a month of muscle training because I wasn’t strong enough and you need a lot of strength to push through the water. I was so glad to leave the show because my body would have buckled if I had gone higher up the podium. I also didn’t like being near naked. It was the highest rating thing I’ve done so far on television. Celebrity Splash was a failure at the end, but in the beginning, everyone was like “What the fuck is this show?” 2.2 million people watched my dive! For weeks afterwards, people would yell, “Splash!” at me. I loved the extreme experience.
And yet you won’t go on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here?
No, I’m not going on that show. I’m doing better than that!
You’re touring Let’s Tidy UP in Los Angeles, New York, London and Edinburgh. What can people expect at those shows? Do you vacuum in front of the audience like Ellen did at the Oscars?
No, but I do dance with a broom! It’s literally about me tidying up. I’ve never tidied the house once in my life, so I’m trying to work out if I’ll ever be able to improve the sort of things which I suck at. I also talk about moving to LA and breaking up with this boy is a big part of it. It’s a big tour which runs until September. Then I’ll need a break!
Taskmaster Australia is on 10 and 10 Play
Follow Josh on Instagram @joshthomas87
Josh Thomas in Taskmaster Australia
