Who is Joanne McNally? Meet the Taskmaster season 17 contestant
The new season features another top Irish comedian sitting in the first seat.
Daaa... da-da-daaaa! Strike up the theme tune, Taskmaster is back on Channel 4 for a brand new season.
And new episodes mean new contenders looking to dazzle Greg Davies and Alex Horne with their task prowess – or lack of, as the case may be.
Following the coincidental tradition of Irish comedians sitting in chair number one (Aisling Bea, Ardal O'Hanlon, Dara Ó Briain...), this time out it's Joanne McNally who will be doing her best to come out on top.
So if you haven't yet come across McNally's work or are looking to see what else she's done, read on.
Who is Joanne McNally on Taskmaster?
Joanne McNally is a comedian, writer and podcaster.
After beginning her career as a stage actress, she moved on to stand-up and comedy before co-hosting satirical Irish comedy series Republic of Telly from 2015 to 2016.
In 2016, she and fellow comedian PJ Gallagher toured Ireland with their show Separated at Birth, about what it was like growing up adopted and the search for their respective birth parents.
She began gigging in the UK the following year, and has gone on to have sold-out runs at London's Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
What has Joanne McNally been in before?
McNally is best known for her hugely popular podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, which she hosts with Vogue Williams – and yes, the title is based on something that genuinely happened to McNally.
After launching it in April 2021, the pair have toured the podcast across the UK, Ireland and Australia, while it has also won accolades at the British Podcast Awards and Global Awards.
Just this month, McNally launched a new podcast for BBC Sounds called Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates, in which she looks into the infamous conspiracy theory that the Sk8er Boi singer was replaced by a body double after her first album.
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On TV, McNally has appeared in episodes of The Big Fat Quiz of Everything, The Weakest Link and The Wheel, while she teamed up with Williams for a one-off E4 special called Joanne & Vogue's Sex Drive.
She has also collaborated with a number of Taskmaster alumni, appearing on the likes of Richard Osman's House of Games, Rob Beckett's Undeniable, Backstage with Katherine Ryan, Iain Stirling's CelebAbility, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled.
Is Joanne McNally on X or Instagram?
She is! You can follow her on X at @jomcnally and on Instagram at @joannemcnally.
Taskmaster returns on Thursday 28th March at 9pm on Channel 4. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. Visit our hub for more Entertainment news.
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Christian Tobin is the Production Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all online content and editing digital articles across TV, Film, Gaming and more. He previously worked as Chief Sub-Editor at Digital Spy and has a BA in English Language and Literature from University College London.
