Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

What family game is Rose Ayling-Ellis banned from playing in her own home? Find out in the first ever podcast appearance by the actor and Strictly Come Dancing champion! Rose takes Russell through the majesty of playing Catan, eating Posh Crisps and how the pandemic had a weird side-benefit for the deaf community.  It’s a great fun hour and well worth your time. In this episode there’s a lot of ch...

Is Russell a Paladin, a Warlock or a Rogue? Scottish comedy powerhouse Daniel Sloss introduces Russell to his world of D & D with his customary passion and flair. He also sings the praises of sneezes, and makes a convincing case for self-medicating in airports.  Daniel Sloss fans who are waiting for a new show, well you are in luck. He’s working up material now for his next tour, so if you live in...

How do you become a Habbo Hotel Scammer? And why did Russell ask a bunch of young men which of them was going to pleasure him in the street?  Podcast royalty and ex-Youtube magnate JacckMaate is in the studio, and it’s as fun, breezy and enjoyable as you would imagine from a man of his mastery of chat. Jack’s stories about his days as a Habbo gangster are sensational.  JaackMaate’s Happy Hour is o...

Hear Rachel Riley's plan for pay-as-you-go giant adult prams! You'll find this and all your other must-know insights into Britain's most well-known maths genius in this episode of Five Brilliant Things! Rachel has a passion for all sorts of things and it was pure pleasure to hear her talking about the excitement of travel, of food, and of course, maths. In there there's some really simple ideas as...

Dave Gorman! The man, the legend, the maker of the most epic comedy shows of the past thirty years.  How could you miss this? Dave is interested in everything, and makes everything interesting. The brilliance includes cryptic crosswords, it includes playing cards, and Dave tells us about the time he hosted a darts tournament where Eric Bristow was working illicitly. 🎯👮‍♂️ Dave is back on telly,...

The Northern Irish Comedian is in the studio with some outstanding Brilliant Things. If you’ve never experienced Minstrels and Popcorn, if you’ve never luxuriated in the spongy floor at airport security, then this show will open your eyes and blow your mind. Or open your mind and blow your eyes. Vittorio’s jokes and stories take a ride through is formal musical training, on a detour via traditiona...

Insider tips on how to take the perfect penalty? We got ‘em. Genuinely fascinating insights from a man with a better record than many others. Troy Deeney was Watford’s talisman and striker for years, and now is on our screens as pundit with the main sports broadcasters.  He’s got a fascinating life story to tell involving some pretty hard stories about his upbringing, a stint in prison and how he’...

Etiquette expert William Hanson is with us, and he’s had enough of being asked the correct way to touch yourself under the table. Do you want to find out the correct way to do the incorrect things? It’s all in this podcast with one of the most charming, funny men in Britain.  🌂 William goes through his Five Brilliant Things, including Mary Poppins (you won’t believe how many times he’s seen the s...

Can Russell convince Andy to go to a Water Park? And can Andy convince Russell to visit an Ancient Greek Citadel? It’s a tussle for the ages.  This episode of Five Brilliant Things all comes from the brains of comedian and cricket statistics royalty, Andy Zaltzman.  It is, frankly, a fiesta of culture. From obscure Ancient Greek plays to casting sculptures in bronze the depth and breadth of Andy’s...

There is something wonderful about this episode. Jessie has been through a lot. She’s taken more life thrown at her than most other people could handle, yet there is still an emphatic positivity that shines through. These Five Brilliant Things have a bittersweet quality to them which makes for a tender, funny and terrific show. Jessie talked about her novel ‘Sunset’ on the podcast, and it really i...

Would you expect to find the Pub Landlord chowing down in a Wagamama? Neither would we but it’s exactly where he’ll be. Al Murray tells Russell why he always has the same noodles, the best place to get pissed in Ireland and a sidetrack into trained cannon musicians.  Al Murray is a proper British treasure. If you only know him as the Pub Landlord then there’s so much more - he gives so much Histor...

You want rollerskating telephone operators? We got ‘em. You want arguments about how many gears a decent bike should have? It’s all here in this episode of Five Brilliant Things with Suzi Ruffell. From the rough-arse pubs of Portsmouth to the fashionable theatres of London’s West End, this lovely show touches on all corners of Suzi’s past.  Suzi’s on tour in 2025 with her brand-new show ‘The Juggl...

From a town planner, to dressing as a burger, to conquering the world of podcasts, Vogue Williams strides across this podcast like a Colossus, taking us to mad Irish Christmases in the pub, to sleeping with unfeasible numbers of pillows (6?!) to wild Podcast tour shows.  It’s a real blast. You’ve probably heard Vogue on many podcasts so you know she’s just great to hang out with, and this is no ex...

I tell you what’s fun to listen to: someone who loves cake, talking passionately about cake. Griefcast’s Cariad Lloyd sits with Russell and waxes lyrical about Pavlova and wider cakes. There’s more! We get all down and dirty with the Moomins and then there’s a weird bit where Cariad and Russell start acting out passages from Labyrinth. Which music star was originally slated to play Jareth? It wasn...

You want wisdom? Here’s five bucketfuls of Wisdom poured into your ears. Britain’s top philosopher Alain de Botton sits down with Russell and, well, it’s an absolute belter. 🧠 He explains how to make your mind more healthy, how to get through the bad times and he tells Russell just how much he loves water parks. Yeah. You don’t get that on the other Alain de Botton interviews, do you? 🧠 There’s...

Why did Robbie Williams leave Sara a voicemail out of the blue? Sara actually plays Russell the voicemail live on the podcast. The moment when Sara was contacted out of the blue by her teenage crush. It’s an ELECTRIFYING podcast moment!  You’d expect Sara to be fantastic and you’d be right. What a guest. She’s a woman with a borderline psychotic obsession with soup. She tells Russell about her gre...

Does Rugby's hardest man have a dog with the least hard name? It's all in this barnstorming show with England Rugby Union Prop Joe Marler, who announced his retirement just a week ago. Joe tells Russell about drug testing in Japan, he explains the fine art of shithousery and they both get incredibly passionate about biscuits. As we talk about on the show, Joe's post-rugby work is his weekly podcas...

Welcome to Five Brilliant Things, or as it used to be known, Wonderbox.  Like a latter-day Reginald Dwight we’ve had a wee name change - everything else is the same show that you know and love.  And this week, the irrepressible Giovanna Fletcher is in the studio to explain the beauty of silent discos (Russell disagrees), the majesty of a dibber and some top tips for dropping your guts on a mountai...

Russell sits down with Liverpool stand-up legend Adam Rowe, resident at the famous Hot Water Comedy Clubs and host of the ‘Have a Word’ Podcast with Dan Nightingale.  Adam and Russell talk over the finer points of Liverpool the city, the football club (if you’re a Man Utd fan you can forward over that bit). Adam talks costumes, and we find out whether he finds a blow-up dinosaur costume or a banan...

David Baddiel has a story to tell about his upbringing and it’s… one of the most incredible stories you’ll hear in a long time. You may have read about it in his book, or seen his show, but if not then get involved in this Wonderbox and you’ll never look at a golf club in the same way ever again. David takes Russell through a blow-by-blow account of a family life that was let’s say unusual, and he...

How awkward is it to play a surprise set for the England Football Team when they’ve just finished training? James Bay did just this and told us all about it on this week’s podcast!  James and Russell talk about tight silver trousers, they get into how to write a song and Russell tells what he believes to be the greatest joke he’s ever written. It’s a thoroughly relaxed, intimate chat with plenty o...

How do you go from a kid hanging around the DJ booth in Eurodiscos in Prague to creating one of Britain’s most iconic sitcoms of all time?  Seapa is here to take Russell through his Wonderbox, including the dreaded call centres he worked in where he met the other People Just Do Nothing stars, and the perfect Banh-Mi Sandwich.  Lots of fun. Really funny episode with proper energy, fascinating stori...

US Comedy superstar Michelle Wolf is with us!  And as well as effortlessly funny, Michelle is a wonderful big bag of fascinating contradictions. She's a glamorous comedy star who runs ultramarathons and attends Paris Fashion Week. She also can't think of anything better than getting a hot Wigan-style pie in her hands and face. Seriously mate. You haven't heard love until you've heard Michelle Wolf...

Why did a young Stephen Merchant sneak a boat onto a Devon beach under cover of darkness? It's all in this absolutely spankingly good podcast episode where Russell and Stephen sit down in a Bristol-born meeting of titans! Stephen is as brilliant as always, taking us through some less-covered areas of his life, talking through hilarious old family holidays, his experiences trash-talking with strang...

Secrets from the Pussycat Dolls tour bus! And more! Comin’ atcha in Russell’s absolutely delightful chat with Ashley Roberts.  Find out what life is like being a pop mega-star, what kind of mischief happened backstage and an alternative, let’s call it unconventional, use for a burrito.  You can hear more of Ashley by getting out your digital radio (or analog? Did they turn off the signal yet?) for...