Interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg for Taskmaster
Category: Press Pack ArticleIn November 2021 you sent the following tweet: “I wanna go on Taskmaster”. Was that a come-and-get-me plea to the production team?
Yeah! I’ve always wanted to do taskmaster. Also, I get so many messages from people saying they think I would be quite good on it. I think it’s maybe because of the chaotic vibes that I bring, and the awkward vibes, it would be interesting to see how that would work out in a task. I was so happy when I actually got the call up.
What is it about the show that you like so much?
I just love watching how everyone takes to a task – how everyone does things so differently. I love watching everyone’s interpretations of each task, that’s my favourite part of it. And it’s just pure fun. It’s so joyful. And Greg and Alex’s back-and-forth, they’re the perfect double act. I have nothing bad to say about it, it’s all good. the perfect show.
How did you feel going into the show?
I went into the show thinking I was going to be painfully average. That is actually what I am, always. At school I was never the best or the worst, I was always dead in the middle, which is so boring. I’d rather be at the bottom than in the middle. So I went into it thinking I’d just be in the middle again.
Did you learn anything about yourself doing the show?
I learned I’m not as good at reading as I thought I was! And that I wave my hands in the air all the time and look panicked.
How would you describe your approach to the tasks? Did you have a strategy, at all?
My approach to the tasks was to try and do it the best I can. At various moments you can hear me talking to myself, like “Don’t be so quick with everything, take things slow.” I felt like I was always having to remind myself to be in the moment and not overthinking and stressing myself out. I can very quickly get overwhelmed and stressed by situations, so I think my approach was to try and remain calm, but I don’t know if that actually happened.
At one point, according to Greg and Alex, you basically stood outside and looked at the shy for 14 minutes during a task.
Oh yes, I did do that. That again comes down to me getting freaked out unnecessarily, and not paying enough attention to what’s actually happening. So I was outside for quite a while, for no reason whatsoever. I was just taking a break. But then I’d do things like that and think “Surely this is not what you’re meant to be doing.”
Did you get much help from Alex in those moments?
Minor help from him. I wish he was more of a help, to be honest. When I was standing outside for ages, and I didn’t figure out that you could go in all of the rooms of the house, because I’m an idiot, he was doing a hot and cold type of thing, as I got closer or further away from where I was meant to go. But it was still quite confusing, and I was just flapping around like a headless chicken.
Are you competitive? Were you eager to win?
I really wanted to win because I always want to do the best that I can. Anything I want to put my mind to, I want to be the best, and give in 100%. But am I competitive? I wouldn’t say so, I’m mostly competitive with myself. I sort of start off thinking “I’m really competitive, I want to win” and then it slowly seeps out of me as I realise there’s no point.
What did you make of your fellow contestants?
I loved them. I think we had the best line-up ever. Everyone was so lovely and brilliant, and so friendly and kind. And I was already actually a fan of everyone who was on the line-up with me, so I couldn’t have asked for a better group. Especially Mo, he’s just so brilliant! He’s so magical.
Did you hit up any of your fellow contestants to appear on Chicken Shop Date?
Oh, I’d love to do a date with Rebecca. Hopefully that will happen for the next album.
You’ve done Celebrity Come Dine with Me in the past. How do the two experiences compare?
Come Dine with Me was actually way more challenging and stressful, because of the fact that it involved cooking. And I cannot cook to save my life. I was very pleasantly surprised that there was nothing that involved going into the kitchen on Taskmaster. That was great. You actually film for a long amount of time on Come Dine with Me, and it took a whole week. The thing about Taskmaster: New Year’s Treat was that it’s over before you even know it’s begun. That was a sad thing, as I’d love to have done more tasks.
How are you feeling about watching the show? Who will you watch with?
I’m really excited to watch it. I want to do a viewing party with all my friends. My parents and my sister always leave me over New Year, so I’m always on my own in London. So I’m going to bring all my friends round and we’ll watch it all together. It’s going to be the best remedy for a hangover.
Having seen it up close, how would you describe the relationship between Greg and Alex?
It’s a bit like a father and son, but a father and son with a warped, weird relationship. They’re the best double act you could find, they’re perfect for each other.
Was the experience everything you’d hoped for when you sent that tweet?
It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It’s very rare, especially for me, that you do something on television in a big studio – I’ve really not done that many studio things at all – and it was just so fun. I wasn’t nervous, and I wasn’t worried, I just genuinely had a brilliant time. That’s testament to the crew and the team for being so lovely and friendly and organised, and to the other contestants that I was on with. And Alex as well. It’s amazing to have a host who created the show and writes all the tasks and is so intrinsic to it. You really see the care that goes into it, and it makes for a better show and experience, because it feels like a family unit. I loved it.
The show is billed as a New Year Treat. What treats are you hoping for from 2023?
A boyfriend.