Previous to being solid as “Lesser Tom” in Taskmaster Australia, comic Tom Cashman had solely met host Tom Gleeson as soon as when each appeared on the identical invoice in 2017.

However Cashman had lengthy been a fan from a budget seats.

“I used to come back right down to the Melbourne Comedy Pageant with my household. My dad is a very massive comedy fan, which is why I received into it. As a young person we’d go to stand-up reveals loads,” he tells TV Tonight.

“I bear in mind being excited to do a gig with Tom and chatting afterwards. That was the one time I’d ever interacted with him, I believe.

“An interplay he has completely no reminiscence of!” he laughs.

On the ten collection, primarily based on the UK format created by Alex Horne, Cashman serves because the assistant to Gleeson as Taskmaster. 5 celebrities try to finish absurd duties for factors decreed by the Taskmaster.

Cashman was working within the UK when he was requested to go to Horne to study concerning the function, a certain signal he had landed the gig.

However subsequently creating a rapport with Gleeson was not one thing that might be pressured for the present.

“Chemistry is one thing that sort of develops naturally somewhat than one thing that you determine. I assume now I’m fairly aware of his sense of humour,” he continues.

“He got here to my stay reveals final yr and we had some drinks after that. I believe perhaps that was an intro to my sense of humour.

“But in addition, it’s a fortunate factor that the dynamic that the present requires between us is true, in that I’m sort of newer and fewer assured and look as much as him.

“Then there are sensible issues like leaping on the proper time and having a really feel for what persons are doing a performance-wise. That’s only a matter of follow.”

Cashman head to New Zealand for every season to movie the duties, previous to the studio parts in Sydney the place Gleeson awards factors.

This season options comedians Dave Hughes, Tommy Little, Emma Holland, Takashi Wakasugi and actor Lisa McCune -the first non-comedian to take part within the Australian collection.

Cashman says McCune brings selection to the present.

“It’s a foul job if everybody does the identical factor. You need everybody doing various things and that’s what Lisa introduced.

“One job was to lose the keys for so long as potential. I’m hidden for 4 minutes after which I come out. Lots of people had completely different methods, however Lisa put it down her prime. After a couple of minutes of claiming ‘Can I’ve the keys please?” she provides it to me.

“So her loveliness is her Achilles heel.

“Comedians are a bit extra conniving and egocentric, I assume. Watching her squirm in conditions the place comedians thrive was quite a lot of enjoyable.

“I do my greatest to not break whereas filming, however inevitably will discover myself laughing when one thing ridiculous is occurring. I believe episode 4 with Lisa is the toughest I’ve ever laughed on the present. It’s an unintended, awkward collection of occasions”

Cashman insists his function as referee requires him to create equity for the competitors component, nevertheless it additionally works for the comedy.

“Everybody must be aware of the identical circumstances after which in the event that they do various things, it ought to come from them. To the extent that I can, I’m attempting to be the identical every time, to create a good competitors setting, I assume,” he explains.

“In order that’s the ‘administration’ reply. However the ‘comedic’ reply is I’m the straight man so I should be the straight man more often than not, relying on what’s taking place.

“Typically individuals chuck a wig on and so they need me to be their love curiosity, however typically talking I’m attempting to be the straight man.

“That was a call I needed to make in season one on how one can strategy the function.”

Now at 4 seasons, with a fifth on the way in which, it hopefully means “Lesser Tom” has lived as much as his father’s expectations of succeeding in comedy. His dad recurrently attends his Reside reveals too.

“I’ve been very fortunate that when Dad‘s come alongside it’s been a reasonably good night time so he doesn’t fear about me, I assume.”

Taskmaster Australia screens 8:30pm Thursday on 10.