Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

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...

Host of the Last Leg, Australian comedy royalty Adam Hills joins Russell in the studio this week for a warm and optimistic journey through Adam’s Wonderbox.  There’s some fascinating and funny stories from Adam’s childhood, about his Dad who worked on Qantas airlines ✈️, about those hot evenings on Australian balconies 🌅, and about sharing a bath with twenty two other grown men in Warrington sing...

Never knew David O’Doherty used to be an underground DJ?  It’s all here. Russell and David sit down in front of a live studio audience at the Edinburgh Fringe (yes, it was a few weeks ago but we recorded a few, OK!?) to discuss David’s DJ hinterland. Also there is when a 13 year old David offered to cycle around Ireland as a newspaper think-piece, and he tells Russell about hanging out with Taika...

Did Linford Christie take part in the Dad’s race at his kids’s school sports day?   Russell and Linford discuss what it’s like to be bloody quick, what it’s like to win an Olympic gold medal, and why Linford used to growl like a tiger at his competitors on the starting blocks.   It’s a really interesting and intimate chat with a British legend, seeing a side to him that we rarely get to see.   It’...

Is this simultaneously the most uplifting and heart-rending episode we've done to date?    Matt Forde is Britain's foremost political comedian. Until the end of last year he seemed unstoppable, then from nowhere was diagnosed with a rare condition that saw him having to go through life-saving surgery.    His story is astonishing and it's told with such verve, such humour and humanity that it's req...

Live from the Edinburgh Festival! Irish story-telling powerhouse and ignorer-of-the-basic-format Jason Byrne is with Russell and a packed out audience at the Fringe.   Jason is famous for his sprawling, gregarious, infectious irrepressible comedy and this podcast is no different. Who cares that he ignored the idea of the Wonderbox completely? It was a huge slice of fun.   Stories of rural Irish ma...

Live from the Edinburgh Festival! Recorded in front of a beautiful audience at the Fringe, Russell goes through the Wonderbox of the exquisite Scottish stand-up, Larry Dean! This podcast goes from the serenity of the hills of Bhutan, to tender intergenerational moments of true connection, to a terrifying home-made nightmare of a sex doll.  If you’re a regular listener, you’ll notice that the live...

What’s the link between Tom Grennan and Peter Andre? It’s all in this fantastic episode of Wonderbox with British musical superstar, Tom Grennan.   Tom talks about early life, how he made it, his surprising background in physical theatre (!) and what it’s like to play Glastonbury in front of thousands.   It’s an amazing insight into the life of someone living his music superstar dream.   And you k...

The world’s most exciting clown opens his Wonderbox, sort-of. Either you know who Zach Zucker is and you love his work, or you’re going to soon; he is one hell of a comedian. It’s worth mentioning that his healthy distain for rules makes him an insanely good comic but also makes him not exactly follow the rules of a podcast.   So while most people turn up with an idea of the podcast, Zach brings s...

Does Rosie Jones have a wardrobe full of Nazi clothes? She wasn’t aware of it until she sat down for this podcast and opened her Wonderbox.   This absolute rip-snorter of an episode has got absolutely everything you would want and expect from the ebullient Rosie - waxing lyrical about Scotch Eggs, a slightly controversial side-track into the Third Reich and the most eloquent, beautiful explanation...

It's Abi Clarke, comedian, Tik Tok sensation and viral bobbing-in-the-garden-with-parents superstar. Abi discusses her love of a plastercast of the female down-belows, her failed attempts to win back a man with Cherry Bakewells and Russell contemplates becoming a cheerleader.   Abi is taking her solo show (Role) Model to the Edinburgh Fringe this August and you must cancel your existing plans, get...

He's a regular panellist on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, he gone done Taskmaster, he's a fabulous touring comedian and he's made some insane documentaries: Jamali Maddix is in the studio with Russell!  Let's get straight to the meat and potatoes about this episode - there's a fantastic story about the time Jamali had his Megadrive confiscated by his Mum. Also find out about his history as a paintball...

Hawk Tuah! You've got to listen to this thang! Comedian Maisie Adam is in the studio. You'll have seen her on A League of Their Own or Have I Got News For You perhaps. It's a wonderfully thoughtful and funny episode; covering inspirational teachers, Victorian pornography and the time Russell bought a magic wand.  Oh, and in case you didn't believe it, here's a photo of Jimmy Carr, Stephen Hawking...

From Ghosts, from Stath Lets Flats, from Sewing Bee it's Kiell Smith Bynoe!  Kiell tells Russell about being trapped by some weird Scottish children, about the importance of massive birthday parties and the one feeling he would bottle and sniff forever... A lovely, jaunty episode that zips along and covers a good amount, only getting side-tracked once for an in-depth discussion on feet and what ca...

Does Joel Dommett have beef with Alan Titchmarsh? And how did Davina McCall make Joel cry? The answers are all in this week's Wonderbox! Joel and Russell sit down across a rather fetching table to talk about the things that makes Joel such a happy chap.  It's a lot of fun and covers everything from pig orgasms to bogling. Have a listen. A really splendid way to spend your next fifty-odd minutes. T...

How did Emmanuel Sonubi end up doing a shift as a bouncer in full drag? Emmanuel Sonubi brings his majestic legs and superb comedy into the studio and tells Russell about his gender reveal mistake and gives some handy tips on how to perform a slam dunk.  Emmanuel has just finished his latest tour 'Curriculum Vitae' so you'll have to take our word for it that it was incredibly successful and very g...

When did Mo Gilligan have a kick about with Rod Stewart and Madonna's son? And what's it got to do with his most precious items? It's all in this week's Wonderbox.  Mo takes Russell on a ride through his life and it's full of fascinating tidbits: How to sell a suit, how to curate a perfect collection of trainers. Also in a wild Antiques Roadshow rip-off moment, Mo finds out live on the podcast if...

The golfer and comedian John Robins has plonked his behind in the studio this week to wax lyrical about the things that light up his life.  These things include the Wikipedia page of snooker machine (and human if we're getting technical) Ronnie O'Sullivan, and John's massive bag of ketchup and mayonnaise, without which he never leaves the house.    It's a podcast for the ages. Like a well-construc...

Why is Lou Sanders moving to a farm in Portugal? What noise does Lou Sanders make when she snowboards? The answers are all in her Wonderbox, as well as how to have meaningful interactions with a cat. This is one of the most entertaining Wonderboxes to have been filled in a long time. You know who Lou is, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this far; if you’re just here as an intrepid explorer of ran...