Interview with Junior Taskmaster Rose Matafeo and the Junior Taskmaster’s Assistant, Mike Wozniak

What can we expect from Junior Taskmaster?
Mike: Fresher brains.
Rose: Definitely fresher brains. It’s equally competitive.
M: At times you could see how they might tip into a Lord of the Flies scenario.
R: If we had a conch, it could have been pretty bad. You should also expect more contestants, there are new players every episode, which is fun.
M: We have a tournament format. The lovely thing is, the kids just dive in. They’re the perfect age where they’re not self-conscious, they’re not worried about how they look, they are in the task in the purist form.

Did you two previously know each other? What’s the relationship like between you on the show? 
M: We’ve known each other a while from gigs. We’ve never co-hosted anything and we’ve agreed to just see what happens. We decided that if we tried to impose a schtick or try to recreate Greg and Alex, it would probably fall apart within minutes. 
R: We have a clean state. We have to forget whatever has happened in the past… Nothing has happened to us in the past… But had it, we have a clean slate.

You were both second in your series of Taskmaster, does that make you equally qualified to take on the roles of Junior Taskmaster and Assistant?
R: We were both second? Jeez. They’ve got two bridesmaids to host. 
M: The winners are too busy.
R: No, the winners are probably going to be doing podcasts about this show. Ed Gamble will be getting a podcast ready. Who won your series?
M: Sarah Kendall.
R: And where is she now? Where is that successful comedian now? But having us two, two runners up, does add a bit of underdog energy to the whole thing.
M: And a tinge of bitterness.

The kids are brilliant. Were you surprised by how smart and sassy they were? Some gave you quite a hard time, Mike.
M: I had a lot of sass. But I get that in my personal life, too. I know these people, I spend a lot of time with these people, these people are at my house all the time and I’m largely not respected by them. I’m sassed upon. I’m a sass target.
R: He’s a sass sponge.
M: I’m a sass sponge and I can’t blame the kids for sassing me up because what I’ve learnt is that I’m giving off something, I’m asking for it.

How hard was it not help the kids on the tasks?
M: I think people think I’m much nicer than I am, but I am capable of cruelty and schadenfreude, so I was perfectly happy to let them languish.
R: I noticed that watching the tasks. You’re neutral to kind of trolling them sometimes.
M: I’m a cold observer, occasionally intervening unhelpfully. 

And Rose, you have to score the kids, were you worried about upsetting them?
R: At first, I was very worried and by the end I did not care. I became so hardened by these children because they can take it.
M: They can take it and they will complain as well. 
R: I got shaken down for points by a few contestants off stage. I won’t name names, but it did happen. I very much relished my role of ranking children. 

How would young Rose and Mike have fared on Taskmaster? Do you think you’d have done better than your adult selves?
M: I hope so. Probably because of the nice, clean, child brain.
R: I was the kind of kid who would have convinced my mum to let me have a go at this stuff, it would very much have been in my wheelhouse. I would have been less world weary and had a fresher brain.
M: I think I peaked at about the age of 10 and it’s been a steady decline since then.
R: But there are some things you said in your series of Taskmaster you couldn’t have got away with as a child. 
M: No, it would have been very disturbing. The whole show would have been shut down. 

You’re obviously taking the seats of Greg and Alex in this version of the show. Have you had any advice from them?
R: Not one bit of advice about being the Junior Taskmaster but, in general, Greg tells me to think about retirement a lot.
M: It’s the other end of the spectrum with the Assistant. Alex has been very, very supportive and before the series, he took me away to a Corsican retreat and taught me basket weaving. He wouldn’t talk about the show directly but in the weaving, I think he was teaching me in some way about what it means to be an assistant. He didn’t explain why we weren’t able to be clothed, because the other weavers were clothed, but I’ve never felt safer. Even though physically I was very vulnerable, I felt safe and I felt guided. There was a sense of clarity when we, I was going to say sailed back, but it was more a raft that we built. It took a long time. 
R: You built it? From what you learnt at the basket weaving?
M: Yeah, it was the first of a wicker raft, so we had to hug quite close to the shoreline, as you can imagine. But we did hit the Channel for the last bit. So Alex’s approach was very different to Greg’s, but without it, I’d have been lost.

What are your favourite moments or tasks from the series?
R: I think the prize tasks are really impressive from these children. Their reasoning behind them and passion behind them… We were talking about one who brings in their mum’s wedding ring. There are some very creative prize tasks across there board.
M: It’s a very tough question. One of my favourite things that happens in the very first episode, which illustrates some good things about the show, is someone in the final task in the studio who is accidentally very funny and, as a result, perhaps doesn’t thrive in that particular task but is completely delightful about it. And you see that throughout the whole series. The kids all have moments where they feel competitive, but if they make a boo-boo they’re ok, they realise it’s fun, it’s silly. I was thrilled when I saw that, I felt relieved and relaxed about the whole venture. 

My favourite moment off camera would be the one kid who turned up really nervous for filming in the house, which I was worried about. But as soon as we started, they were happy as ever and even to the point that when they came back to the studio they were one of the best we had in there. They were relaxed and confident and it was lovely to see.

The camaraderie between all the kids is really lovely. 
M: Here are people who can be really competitive but also not take themselves too seriously at the same time. If you can manage those two things in life, you’re going to be alright. 
R: I have high hopes for all of these children.
M: The future is in good hands.

Mike, you were involved in the early days of Taskmaster at the Edinburgh Fringe. Did you ever imagine it would end up being what it is and with a version for kids? 
R: Be honest!
M: It was always written that Taskmaster would steadily consumer the living world as we know it. It’s happening now and it’s nice to see. 
R: This is phase one.
M: You haven’t seen nothing yet.

Can you describe Junior Taskmaster in three words each?
R: Fun…
M: New and improved.
R: Can we combine them? Fun, new and improved… Evocative, challenging…
M: Philanthropic. Militaristic.
R: Confronting. Ultimately, an inspiration. I think we stand by fun, new and improved. We’ll get into trouble from Alex and Greg saying that, but I don’t care. 

Junior Taskmaster on Channel 4, stream or watch live from Friday 8th November, 8pm.