Born in Chichester in 1978, Alex Horne studied classics at the University of Cambridge, where he became involved in the Footlights comedy troupe. He was nominated for a Perrier award for best newcomer in 2003 and won a Chortle award for best breakthrough act in 2004. He is the creator of Bafta-winning game show Taskmaster, which he co-presents with Greg Davies; its New Year Treat episode airs on 2 January on Channel 4. He also plays in musical comedy band the Horne Section, which has led to radio, podcast and TV spinoffs; they tour the UK from 6 March to 21 November 2024.
1. TV
Last Stop Larrimah (Netflix)
I only watch television programmes that are recommended to me by people, so I’m watching this because Greg Davies, my boss, told me to. It’s a two-part documentary about a murder that happens in the middle of Australia in a tiny town called Larrimah. There are only 11 people who live there. One of them’s the murderer. All of them are terrifyingly messed-up individuals; most of them are alcoholics – they’re sort of caricatures of people who you might imagine live in the outback. But they’re also real. I’m watching it with my wife, and I’m hooked.
2. Book
Reggie Watts is an American comedian and musician whom I know a bit. It’s really interesting reading an autobiography of someone you know, because you realise you didn’t know them that well. His standup is scattergun, semi-improvised, a lot of tangents, but with some really lucid points, and the book’s the same. There’s a coming-of-age chapter in the beginning, when he’s in his teens and fumbling around with girls, but unsuccessfully. It’s reassuring to read about someone who is really cool in everyone’s eyes being the same as everybody else as a kid, being clueless.
3. Magazine
The Chesham United programme
Chesham United are my local non-league football club, and this programme gets published every home match. It’s so well written. I don’t know if anyone’s reading it, but the passion people write with is remarkable. My favourite section is Notes from the Chair. Peter [Brown] is the chairman. He’s not under 80, I’d say. So that’s a wealth of experience. And I get the feeling he writes it as quickly as you can read it. He gets to the nub of things very quickly. And it’s funny – sometimes intentionally, sometimes not.
4. Radio
Radio 3
I think I might be too young for Radio 3 – I’m 45 – but it’s become my station of choice. With apologies to Radio 3, it’s a background noise that I like. It’s on all day long: if I want to write, if I want to go for a drive, if I want to not write and just have a cup of tea. For me, it’s perfect. I particularly enjoy Essential Classics in the morning, and the lunchtime concerts. It’s just music for an hour, which is one of the many things the BBC does really well but that we take for granted.
5. Music
Ezra Collective: No Confusion featuring Kojey Radical
I first heard this as a guest on the defunct telly programme Soccer AM. Kojey Radical, who’s a rapper, and Ezra Collective, a very cool jazz band who won the Mercury this year, played it at 9.15am. They were so upbeat, and on it, and just great. It’s a really catchy, funky song. Kojey is the frontman for this one – he’s got so much charisma, and his dress sense is incredible. He wears clothes that if I wore them, I’d look like I’d lost my mind. But when he wears them he just looks amazing.
6. Musical
Operation Mincemeat (Fortune theatre, London)
I used to say I didn’t like musicals, but I saw Hamilton for my 40th birthday and – sorry to sound like a cliche – it was everything I expected. I suppose Operation Mincemeat is our British equivalent. It’s an unbelievable story of a cunning plan during the second world war, an unlikely plot to foil the enemy. And it’s all true. I hate standing ovations, but for this I was among the first to stand up. They deserve it for not just the performance on the night, but the craft that’s gone into it, the writing, the choreography, the storytelling.
