Taskmaster Series 19 includes Ghosts star Mathew Baynton, but he’s not the first actor from the BBC sitcom to appear.
On the face of it, Taskmaster and Ghosts are wholly unrelated.
One’s a Channel 4 panel show format, the other was a hugely successful BBC One character-driven sitcom.
Yet, in recent years, the shows have become intertwined through several Ghosts cast members signing up to do Taskmaster. Several stars have been in individual series – though to varying degrees of success.
The most recent is Mathew Baynton, who played Ghosts’ very own melodramatic poet, Thomas Thorne.
Joining him to face Greg Davies and Alex Horne were: Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Rosie Ramsey and Stevie Martin.
All five series of Ghosts are available to enjoy on BBC iPlayer.
Meanwhile, let’s see who swapped Button House for Greg Davies’ point scoring wrath.
Mathew Baynton (Series 19)
As well as playing Thomas Thorne, Baynton also co-created Ghosts with the other five members of Them There.
In the sitcom, Thomas is the ghost of a Regency-era poet, who becomes infatuated with the main (living) protagonist, Alison (Charlotte Ritchie).
As for Taskmaster, Baynton competed in series 19, which aired on Channel 4 in mid-2025. He achieved an overall score of 169 points and won the competition.
Later that same year, he returned for Champion of Champions IV alongside fellow winners Sam Campbell, John Robins, Andy Zaltzman and Maisie Adams.
Much like before, Baynton also emerged victorious in this special.
Emma Sidi (Series 18)
Actress and comedian Emma Sidi had a recurring role on Ghosts, portraying Kitty’s (Lolly Adefope) adoptive sister Eleanor in flashbacks.
While many of the character’s scenes showed her cruelty towards Kitty, Eleanor did have a nicer side, too.
Airing in 2024, Sidi competed in series 18 against Andy Zaltzman, Babatunde Aléshé, Jack Dee and Rosie Jones.
She was a strong contender during the series, earning an impressive 152 points, but ended up in third place overall.
Sidi placed behind eventual winner Zaltzman and the runner-up, Jack Dee, who had 160 and 157 points respectively.
Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Series 15)
Kiell, who competed in Series 15, portrayed male lead Mike Cooper on Ghosts.
Mike is Alison’s husband who moves into Button House with her at the start of the series. Once there, they soon discover their new home is filled with an assortment of ghosts.
As for Taskmaster, Smith-Bynoe played against comedians Jenny Eclair, Mae Martin, Ivo Graham and Frankie Boyle.
Although he had a strong first episode, scoring went against him and he finished runner-up behind Martin.
However, despite finishing second, Smith-Bynoe returned for Champion of Champions due to Martin being unavailable for filming.
Bridget Christie (Series 13)
Unlike most on this list, Bridget Christie had a small role on Ghosts. She played Annie, the ghost of a puritan lady who used to haunt Button House.
A close friend of Mary’s (Katy Wix), Annie was “sucked off” (moved on) before the events of the show.
In real life, Christie competed on Taskmaster in 2022 for Series 13.
She was up against Judi Love, Chris Ramsey, Sophie Duker and Ardal O’Hanlon.
Despite a valiant effort throughout the series, Christie went finished in third place.
Charlotte Ritchie (Series 11)
Charlotte Ritchie is the leading lady of Ghosts, having played Button House owner Alison Cooper.
Alison inherits Button House in the first episode and moved in with her husband, Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe).
Although initially unable to see the ghosts, she later gained the ability after a near fatal accident.
Unfortunately, Ritchie’s time on Taskmaster was much less illustrious. She joined Jamali Maddix, Lee Mack, Mike Wozniak and Sarah Kendall for series 11.
Among these contenders, she finished in fifth (last) place/
Katy Wix (Series 9)
Katy Wix played Mary on Ghosts, but also competed on Taskmaster series 9 in 2019.
Wix made Taskmaster history by missing two episodes due to illness – leading to former champions Katherine Ryan and Kerry Godliman stepping in.
Joining Wix in series 9 were Jo Brand, Ed Gamble, David Baddiel and Rose Matafeo.
Ultimately, Gamble took home the win while Wix finished third.
Jessica Knappett (Series 7)
Lucy, Jessica Knappett’s Ghosts character, was very much a polarising figure.
She originally introduced herself as Alison’s long-lost half sister, only to be later revealed as a con artist trying to steal Alison’s money.
Lucy came very close to successfully tricking Alison, but the ghosts intercepted at the last minute.
Her Taskmaster run ended with similar fortunes – being bested by Kerry Godliman for the top spot.
Lolly Adefope (Series 4)
Among all the ghosts on Ghosts, Lolly Adefope’s Kitty is a symbol of innocence and naivety.
Despite dying as a young adult, Kitty retains a child-like personality and lack of awareness about the world.
Kitty is arguably the first of the ghosts to fully embrace Alison and Mike, mainly the former.
Unusually for this list, Adefope’s Taskmaster stint predated her time on Ghosts.
She took part in series 4 back in 2017 – alongside Hugh Dennis, Joe Lycett, Mel Giedroyc and Noel Fielding.
Although much like co-star Charlotte Ritchie, Adefope finished in last place overall.
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on X.
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
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