Shortland Street star Kura Forrester joins all-new Taskmaster cast

Taskmaster: Shortland Street star Kura Forrester returns to her comedy roots with award-winning comedian Chris Parker, funnyman Josh Thomson, Justine Smith and comedy veteran Paul Ego.

Taskmaster Jeremy Wells and his loyal assistant Paul Williams return next month for a new season of Taskmaster NZ, with a funny new cast anxiously hoping their attempts at task completion will gain favour with the throned duo.

Shortland Street star Kura Forrester returns to her comedy roots with award-winning comedian and Celebrity Treasure Island winner Chris Parker, funnyman Josh Thomson, the queen of comedy Justine Smith and comedy veteran Paul Ego.

Forrester, a former Billy T Award-winner, described her Taskmasters as both handsome and, more importantly, funny.

"I had a blast on the show. It was adventurous, fun, excruciating but hilarious and a once-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget," she says.

Although nervous, Forrester realised tasks came more naturally when she interpreted them her way.

"I feel like I did really well in all the creative tasks and not so great in the lateral thinking and building tasks."

Smith says she and the new quintet of panellists did warm-up games for the hosts before the show.

"I am definitely not an improv comedian, but it was an awesome way to get ready and excited together before the studio records. Also, Chris Parker would tell me off if I did not participate," she says, laughing.

Smith was already a huge fan of the show and says she is going hard out and trying her best, even if sometimes she comes away just looking sweaty and confused.

"Being on the show was intimidating, strange, out of my comfort zone and I loved almost every single minute."

Ego, who is about to kick off a nationwide standup comedy tour with Paul Douglas, called The Paul Paul Comedy Night has his own take on the Taskmasters.

"They reminded me of having to explain yourself in front of the school principal while his weird PA took notes," he says.

Ego says his wealth of comedy experience and the suitcase full of cash helped his entrance on to the show, which he admits he had never watched before. Because of this, confusing madness ensued.

"It was just like The Hunger Games except we had a nice lunch provided each day so weren't that hungry."

Parker declares the Taskmaster to be charismatic and flirtatious. The Celebrity Treasure Island winner says he brings the same gay panic he brought to CTI, but a little less hungry in style.

"It's honestly a comedian's dream show. You have to do zero prep, show up and show off for a bit and play dress-ups," he says.

Thomson says growing up on a farm gaining pointless knowledge of how to build stuff from junk honed skills for him to bring to the show.

He would have liked to have seen a growing hair task added into the mix and warns viewers that his "butt crack" inconveniently and annoyingly appears during his tasks.