Alex Horne, meatballs in tomato sauce and a primitivo

Apr 30, 2025

Joining Nick and Angela, Alex Horne is a celebrated comedian and creator of the hit show Taskmaster. He shares hilarious insights about his journey from Edinburgh Fringe to global stardom. The trio banter about Pringles, delve into Alex's quirky food preferences, and discuss family mealtime memories. With Angela's famous meatballs and wine pairing in the mix, Alex explains the unique creative process behind his ludicrous challenges. Plus, he shares details about his musical comedy band, The Horne Section, and their upcoming tours!

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INSIGHT

Why Simple Snacks Appeal

Alex enjoys crisps for their size, handling and simplicity, seeing Pringles as a perfect single-serve snack.
He finds novelty and personality in snack branding and flavours, like Mr Pringle and prawn cocktail.

ADVICE

Make Soft Meatballs With Soaked Bread

For tender meatballs, soak bread in milk and mix into the mince instead of using egg, which firms them up.
Colour the meatballs first then finish cooking them gently in the tomato sauce for softness.

ANECDOTE

Humble Origins Of Taskmaster

Alex Horne created Taskmaster as an Edinburgh live show in 2009 after missing the festival for his first child and challenging friends with monthly tasks.
The live experiment paid for itself and later attracted TV interest, turning into the long-running show.

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Nick and Angela welcome a master of his craft to Dish.

Alex Horne is an English comedian, writer and creator of the award-winning and highly original game show Taskmaster, which he cohosts with Greg Davies.

Horne, born in Chichester, began his comedy career as a student doing routines at open mic nights in Cambridge before appearing at his first Edinburgh Fringe in 2000. It was at the Fringe that Taskmaster came to life, before making its debut on our TV screens in 2009 (first on Dave and now on Channel 4). The show, now in its 19th season, has been broadcast in over 120 countries and recently was turned into a live immersive experience in London.

Alex, who lives in Chesham with his wife and three sons, is also the lead singer of The Horne Section, a ‘six-headed musical comedy band’, who have extended their UK and Ireland tour across the duration of 2025. They can also be seen on TV in the aptly titled The Horne Section TV Show, which returns for its second series later this year.

Nick, Angela and Alex start the episode over a Guinness with a side of Pringles, before enjoying meatballs in tomato sauce, a recipe by the one and only... Angela Hartnett. The perfectly crafted meatballs are served alongside a glass of Primitivo di Manduria Riserva.

With so much going on in Alex’s life, this episode covers a lot of funny ground, including the origins of Taskmaster, The Horne Section and Alex’s skills in the kitchen, while Angela learns something new about Pringles…

We are doing a live episode in Sheffield! On Friday 4 July, Dish will be at The Crucible Theatre at Crossed Wires Festival. For our second ever live show, Nick and Angela will be joined by the newly announced and hilariously funny comedian, Lucy Beaumont. Tickets are available now at crossedwires.live.

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All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes

A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

We can’t all have a Michelin star chef in the kitchen, but you can ask Angela for help.

Send your dilemmas to dish@waitrose.co.uk and she’ll try to answer them in a future episode.

Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions.