Taskmaster: Who is Katherine Parkinson? Actress was in The IT Crowd! Fri 16 October 2020 11:21

Posted by Noelle Montes on Sunday, May 5, 2024

Taskmaster is back, with nothing less than challenging comedians for their wit – including actor Katherine Parkinson.

Fans quizzed who she was in the first episode, which aired on Thursday October 15th. Joining the line-up alongside her is Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Katherine Parkinson, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring.

The comedian wowed audiences over with her eccentric personality straight away. However some only recognised her from a certain chocolate advert. So who is Katherine Parkinson? Let’s meet the IT Crowd star!

Taskmaster. Picture: Channel 4

Meet Katherine Parkinson

Katherine is an actress who is best-known as Jen Barber in The IT Crowd. For her role, she won the British Comedy Best TV Actress Award twice – in 2009 and 2014. She also received a BAFTA TV Award in 2014.

She was also a main cast member of the series Doc Martin for three series. She co-starred in Series 1 to 3 of sci-fi drama Humans, along with films including The Boat that Rocked.

Born in Hounslow, London, the now 42-year-old grew up in Tolworth and Surbiton, and went on to study at Tiffin Girls School before reading classics at St Hilda’s College in Oxford.

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Where else have we seen Katherine?

If you thought you recognised her, it might well be from the Maltesers adverts…

She has starred in them alongside actress Amanda Abbington. But this isn’t the end of her roles, as she has a pretty filled history of appearances.

Some of them include being Sophie in comedy series The Great Outdoors, the National Theatre’s Season’s Greetings and as Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal at the Barbican Centre.

She also starred in another comedy series The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff  in 2011, before appearing in series 2, episode 3 of Sherlock as journalist Kitty Riley in 2012.

Loving the new series of @taskmaster already … all of the celebs seem amazing and funny, but I feel bad for only recognising Katherine Parkinson from a Maltesers advert!

— Very Excitable James (@JamesIsAPeach) October 16, 2020

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Katherine Parkinson: Family

The comedian, who isn’t very active on social media by the looks of things, does have a famous husband.

She is married to actor Harry Peacock, who is best known for his role in Gulliver’s Travels and Toast of London. Katherine and her husband both starred in BBC sitcom The Kennedys.

They have two daughters together, Dora and Gwendolyn.

Some people have been led to believe that her Maltesers co-star Amanda is her twin sister, but this isn’t true!

Few thoughts on new!Taskmaster:
a) they probably could have thought of a more TV friendly way to social distance than "move the chairs"
b) I am very concerned Daisy's baby is going to arrive early
c) I know he won't but I still hope for an appearance from Katherine's fit husband

— The Haunting of Richard Butler (@rmdbutler) October 15, 2020

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