Rose Matafeo won Taskmaster NZ in 2026, taking season seven ahead of Rhys Mathewson, Hoani Hotene, Morgana O’Reilly and Dave Fane. That makes her the seventh champion of the TVNZ show, which has now run for seven seasons and 70 episodes since it started in October 2020.
This page keeps every season of Taskmaster NZ in one place: the winners, the full cast of each series, who runs the show, where it is filmed and how to watch it in New Zealand and overseas. We update it each year when a new cast is named and when the next champion is crowned.
Who won Taskmaster NZ in 2026?
Season seven ran on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ from 14 September to 13 October 2026, ten episodes in all. Rose Matafeo finished as overall winner. Rhys Mathewson came second, Hoani Hotene third, Morgana O’Reilly fourth and Dave Fane fifth.
It was a notable return. Matafeo had already competed on the British show in 2019 and later hosted Junior Taskmaster, and The Spinoff described her as the first person to appear on three versions of the format. Speaking to The Spinoff’s Tara Ward before the season began, she said the home version felt different: “When I did it here [in the UK], no one knew who I was.” She added: “I was so much more starstruck with the people I did this with than the UK version.”
Taskmaster NZ season 7 cast
- Rose Matafeo – comedian, writer and actor (Starstruck, Funny Girls). Winner.
- Rhys Mathewson – stand-up who has won the Billy T and Fred awards and appeared on 7 Days and The Project. Second.
- Hoani Hotene (Ngāti Hauā) – comedian and winner of the 2025 Billy T Award. Third.
- Morgana O’Reilly – actor known for serious roles, including the International Emmy-winning lockdown drama Inside. Fourth.
- Dave Fane – actor, writer and director, co-founder of The Naked Samoans and a voice of Bro’Town. Fifth.
The line-up was confirmed in late August, when The Spinoff ran its who’s who of the new season. On-location tasks this year were filmed at MOTAT, Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology.
Every Taskmaster NZ winner and cast by season
Comedians are listed in the order they sit in the studio (alphabetical by first name), not in finishing order.
| Season | Aired | Contestants | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2020) | 21 Oct – 23 Dec 2020 | Angella Dravid, Brynley Stent, Guy Williams, Leigh Hart, Madeleine Sami | Angella Dravid |
| 2 (2021) | 7 Jul – 8 Sep 2021 | David Correos, Guy Montgomery, Laura Daniel, Matt Heath, Urzila Carlson | Laura Daniel |
| 3 (2022) | 6 Jul – 7 Sep 2022 | Chris Parker, Josh Thomson, Justine Smith, Kura Forrester, Paul Ego | Josh Thomson |
| 4 (2023) | 14 Aug – 12 Sep 2023 | Bubbah, Dai Henwood, Karen O’Leary, Melanie Bracewell, Ray O’Leary | Melanie Bracewell |
| 5 (2024) | 6 Aug – 4 Sep 2024 | Abby Howells, Ben Hurley, Hayley Sproull, Tofiga Fepulea’i, Tom Sainsbury | Hayley Sproull |
| 6 (2025) | 18 Aug – 16 Sep 2025 | Alice Snedden, Bree Tomasel, Jack Ansett, Jackie van Beek, Pax Assadi | Jackie van Beek |
| 7 (2026) | 14 Sep – 13 Oct 2026 | Dave Fane, Hoani Hotene, Morgana O’Reilly, Rhys Mathewson, Rose Matafeo | Rose Matafeo |
Every season has had ten episodes. Josh Thomson in 2022 is so far the only man to win; the other six champions, including season five winner Hayley Sproull, are women.
Who hosts Taskmaster NZ?
The Taskmaster is Jeremy Wells, who has judged every season since 2020. His assistant is comedian Paul Williams, who reads out the tasks, films alongside the contestants and also writes many of the tasks. The format comes from the British show created by Alex Horne, which began as an Edinburgh Fringe show in 2010 before reaching UK television in 2015. The New Zealand version is made for TVNZ by Kevin & Co. and Avalon Television with NZ On Air funding.
Where is Taskmaster NZ filmed?
The pre-recorded tasks are shot at a house in north Auckland that fans call the Taskmaster house. It is a boutique events venue called HUs, between Riverhead and Coatesville. The same venue is used for Taskmaster Australia, which answers one of the most common fan questions. Some seasons have also gone on the road: season six filmed tasks at Rainbow’s End and season seven at MOTAT.
Where to watch Taskmaster NZ
- New Zealand: new seasons screen on TVNZ 2 and stream on TVNZ+.
- YouTube: seasons one to six are on the official Taskmaster YouTube channel.
- UK: Channel 4 began airing Taskmaster NZ on 28 August 2023.
- US, Australia and elsewhere: the subscription service Taskmaster SuperMax+ carries Taskmaster content internationally.
Will there be a Taskmaster NZ season 8?
As of late October 2026 we could find no announcement from TVNZ about an eighth season or its cast. Past seasons have usually aired between July and October, with the cast revealed a few weeks before the premiere, so any 2027 news is most likely to land mid-year. This page will carry the new line-up as soon as it is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
How many seasons of Taskmaster NZ are there?
Seven, with 70 episodes in total as of October 2026. The first aired in 2020 and there has been one season every year since.
When did Taskmaster NZ start?
The first episode screened on 21 October 2020. Studio recording had been pushed back that year after Auckland moved into Covid alert level 3.
What happened to Tofiga in season 5?
Tofiga Fepulea’i was unwell during the studio recordings, so former contestants stood in for him on the prize tasks and live tasks. Madeleine Sami, Matt Heath, Josh Thomson, Bubbah and Chris Parker each covered two episodes.
What channel is Taskmaster NZ on?
TVNZ 2, with every new episode also on TVNZ+.
Who won Taskmaster NZ in 2025?
Jackie van Beek won season six in 2025, ahead of Alice Snedden, Bree Tomasel, Jack Ansett and Pax Assadi.
