Taskmaster creator and co-presenter Alex Horne to host Rose d’Or Awards

Instead of handing out tasks to comedians, Taskmaster’s Alex Horne will be handing out awards to the top TV and audio entertainment creators in November.

The Taskmaster creator and co-presenter has been announced as the host for the Rose d’Or Awards which awards the best entertainers in Europe.

Chichester’s Alex Horne, 44, was nominated for last year’s awards so will hopefully be up to the ‘task’ for this year’s 61st annual ceremony which takes place on 28 November.

He told National World: “I’ve administered many tasks over the past few years, many of which end up with me getting wet or naked.

“It’s an absolute honour to now tackle the task of presenting the Rose d’Or Awards, which have recognised so many TV greats across the years - and if I stay dry and fully clothed at the end of the show, that’s a bonus for everyone.”

The comedian, author and presenter follows in the footsteps of past hosts Sir Lenny Henry, Nish Kumar and Sue Perkins.

Sir Lenny Henry presented the awards for the first time in Kings Place, London in 2019 before the awards went online as a result of Covid-19 when Kumar hosted.

Last year’s event saw an in-person and online awards ceremony take place to reward the best of British television, including Taskmaster, which was nominated for a Rose d’Or following its huge success with an Emmy nomination and a Royal Television Society award under its belt.

Mark Rowland, the Chair of the Rose d’Or Awards told National World: “We are delighted that Alex, a former nominee, has agreed to host this year’s awards. We know from Taskmaster, there’s nothing he can’t handle, so the awards are in very good hands.

“We look forward to his lateral take on the world of television - and finding out if this year’s show ends with a fully clothed host!”

Alex co-hosts Taskmaster alongside comedian Greg Davies who provide celebrities with bizarre challenges in order to win back their forfeited possessions.

The Channel 4 and Dave show has produced over 100 episodes inspiring international versions to be created in Belgium, Sweden, the United States and New Zealand among many others.

Comedians Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe and Ed Gamble have all featured in the comedic competition show, with the latter speaking highly of the creator.

Ed told Comedy.co.uk: “It was really good, I think the show has a really good fan base. They’re lovely, but I don’t think you could be angry and watch Taskmaster, to be honest.

“That’s all credit to the show - Alex established the show with a very, very lovely atmosphere.”

As well as hosting the Rose d’Or Awards, viewers can see Alex Horne with his six-piece comedy band on the new Channel 4 series The Horne Section, which premiers this autumn.

With voting closing for the Rose d’Or Awards on 24 September, fans are welcome to enter online on their website and livestream the ceremony on 28 November.