Ooh, which series, what contestants and what tasks?
I was at the penultimate one each time - they used to film two in one day, and I didn't fancy the drive home late at night, so went to the afternoon filming. And chose one towards the end, because then everyone has found their role, as it were, or got into their stride. It was filmed in July, so it was REALLY hot. We all had to hang around in a marquee in a car park, with the most vile toilets and with no food on sale, and we were not allowed to take food in. The second time (last year) they gave us bottles of water.
Last time, was the Jo Brand and David Baddiel one and it was great. At one point, Jo Brand told the audience to fuck off because she thought we were laughing at her, but we weren't, and Greg Davies made her apologise, which she did. That didn't make the cut. David Baddiel came across as being, well, bewildered! We also had Katy Wix, who is gloriously bonkers, and Rose Matafeo, who I didn't know, and I thought was lovely. And Ed Gamble, who was dull. The recording went on for more than two hours, and there was a warm up guy who came on not only before, but also in all the breaks. There were lots of breaks, like when they have to go on the stage or come off the stage for a task, or when one of them needed a wee or a drink. There were some retakes at the end, as well, where Greg and Alex had to repeat some of the things they had said and done and we all had to laugh again.
The previous year, I went to a recording also in July, and that was the time when James Acaster learnt how to do the hula hoop and did it amazingly well, but got no points because he dropped it the first time. That was a highlight, because it was a much bigger item than in the show as broadcast, showing him practising backstage at gigs over the months, and taking it on trains and planes so that he could continue to do so. And he went on hula hooping for ages and ages with the audience whooping and cheering, only to get no points. It was very funny. He was really pissed off.
It also looked like he and Rhod Gilbert didn't like each other, which was kind of odd, and not so obvious in the broadcast show. But it turns out Rhod Gilbert is a real life friend of Greg, and played on that, which was very funny, too. He even got Greg's mum involved and Greg's reaction was something to be seen. Rhod actually put up a photo of Greg's mum in the bath! It turns out she was in the audience with us, watching, although I didn't see her.
