A golden apple, a distant plate and the requirement to remain handcuffed to Alex Horne provide an effective first test of the new cast because the rules are simple enough to expose personality immediately. Chloe Petts attacks the search with competitive urgency, Nina Conti follows the clues efficiently, Izzy Suttie struggles despite spotting the instruction on the back of the task, and Richard Ayoade immediately tests how loosely words such as “golden” and “plate” can be interpreted. Matt Lucas ultimately delivers the cleanest solution, finding the correct objects in just 1 minute 37 seconds. Greg Davies disqualifying the improvised yellow and silver alternatives also establishes a useful early precedent that creative rule-bending will not automatically be rewarded.
The prize task is a lighter introduction, but it still gives each contestant room to establish a comic identity. The category of the “droopiest object” produces everything from a partially deflated Droopy toy to a neglected plant, though Izzy’s oat-filled tights are the most memorably strange contribution because they come with an explanation involving their supposed use for soothing her eczema. Greg and Alex keep the judging lively through ridicule and argument rather than treating the objects themselves as inherently hilarious, and the exchanges about ageing, medicinal porridge tights and questionable interpretations of droopiness quickly restore the familiar studio rhythm.
Moving a fully made bed while avoiding eye contact, scuff marks and multisyllabic words is the first task that turns an ordinary physical challenge into sustained chaos. Izzy and Nina develop an amusingly primitive shared vocabulary but accumulate so many penalties that their final time exceeds an hour, while Richard, Matt and Chloe finish far more efficiently. The funniest material comes from watching contestants negotiate exactly what counts as a forbidden word or glance while still attempting real physical work. At times the studio discussion becomes more entertaining than the actual furniture moving, particularly when Matt’s split pronunciation of “mattress” turns into a surprisingly elaborate linguistic defence.
The self-duet task is the installment’s strongest showcase for individual creativity. Matt turns self-love into an increasingly sexual rock number, Izzy constructs a conversation between contrasting sides of herself, and Richard delivers an intentionally opaque song involving aviation, thighs and bacon grease. Chloe’s contribution is comparatively sincere, using two internal voices to counter self-criticism, while Nina’s dreamy performance is difficult even for her to explain beyond the wonderfully vague declaration that “in my mind, there’s a river.” Giving both Chloe and Nina five points reflects the subjective nature of the challenge, although Greg’s reasoning for the tie is considerably less clear than his earlier insistence on strict definitions.
What makes the premiere work particularly well is how quickly five distinct approaches emerge. Richard repeatedly turns rules into arguments about language, Chloe combines enthusiasm with genuine competitiveness, Nina brings an unpredictable looseness, Izzy embraces the absurdity, and Matt appears comfortable switching between competent task solving and shameless studio comedy. Alex is particularly effective as the controlled obstacle around whom these personalities operate, whether being dragged through the apple hunt, lying beside contestants in bed or patiently allowing dubious interpretations to develop before the studio judgment arrives.
The final belt-searching game is deliberately uncomplicated, asking everyone to locate combinations of objects while continuously beeping, but its escalating franticness makes it a strong live finish. Matt goes first, followed by Izzy and Nina, before Richard defeats Chloe in the final round and escapes outright last place. Chloe nevertheless wins the episode with 20 points, ahead of Nina on 18 and Matt on 17. Not every individual task reaches the same comic peak, but the mixture of physical problem-solving, wordplay, musical invention and argumentative judging gives the new lineup an immediately promising foundation.
Pros
- The golden-apple task efficiently introduces the contestants’ contrasting problem-solving styles and willingness to challenge the rules.
- Richard Ayoade’s literal-minded arguments with Greg create a strong recurring source of studio comedy.
- The bed-moving challenge turns simple restrictions on speech, looking and movement into entertaining team dysfunction.
- The self-duets provide the widest creative range, with each contestant producing a noticeably different interpretation.
- Chloe Petts emerges as a convincing first winner through a combination of competitiveness and creative performance.
- Greg Davies and Alex Horne quickly establish an energetic studio dynamic with the new cast.
Cons
- The prize round depends more heavily on studio banter than on the inherent quality of several of the submitted objects.
- The lengthy penalty discussion around the bed task slightly outlasts the central joke.
- Greg’s decision to award both Chloe and Nina five points for the duet task is amusing but less convincingly justified than his stricter rulings elsewhere.
- The belt-searching finale is funny in execution but mechanically simpler than the more inventive prerecorded challenges.
A strong cast introduction succeeds by revealing five noticeably different comic instincts rather than forcing an immediate standout personality. Some judging is deliberately inconsistent and a few tasks are stronger as vehicles for banter than as challenges, but the combination of creative performances, rule disputes and competitive mishaps makes the opening installment consistently entertaining.
