Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

If you find influencers ridiculous, this is the episode for you. TikTok sensation Shabaz Ali spends his time finding their most ridiculous promotions and videos and rips the piss out of them from inside his burrito hoodie. Shabaz sits down with Russell to talk about the most insane things he’s seen online (a café for gourmet water? Sellotape roll as a luxury bracelet?) and also chats about his day...

It’s only bloody Joe Wilkinson! The Cats Does Countdown people’s favourite is in the studio to chat about his struggles with his high-tech hoover, the beauty of watching online cooking videos and how to embrace middle-age. It’s packed full of wisdom and comedy which is kind of why podcasts exist.   Joe’s acclaimed podcast (with David Earle) is called Chatabix, and it’s a thrice weekly morning doll...

Podcasting royalty Richard Herring is here! Richard commits his dearest items to the Wonderbox; his stone cairn (with an incredible story about the fine line between art and insanity), his manky old ventriloquist’s doll and his purged bollock. You want a fascinating account of the last forty years of British comedy? It’s here. You want to hear which celebrity attacked Richard Herring when he was a...

Laura Smyth is a comedian who is going stratospheric, quick. She’s a brilliant performer with a wicked turn of phrase who’s going to be on all the shows and in all the theatres before you know it.   Laura comes into the studio to fill her Wonderbox, and gives it both barrels. She talks about telling drunk lies to her kids and about the thrill of being given a secret gift from Stephen Fry.   Laura...

Russell Kane joins Russell in an all-Russell Wonderbox. And it takes in so much; why English people have such trouble dancing with freedom, some serious advice on making home curry taste like takeaway curry and just so many fascinating little pockets of information and chatter in this one. A podcast that just keeps giving.   Russell Kane has just set out on his latest tour of the UK (and further a...

Stand-up comedian Fatiha El Ghorri is in the studio to talk Russell through her Wonderbox offerings, including ramadan, baby fat and birds in the wind. It’s a fascinating chat that covers Moroccan family life, and what it’s like being a female Muslim comedian in the UK. It's a lot of fun; Fatiha doesn't hold back.   Fatiha is currently working on her first novel ‘The Perks of my Hijab’ which is co...

It's Seann Walsh! One of the most naturally talented comics of his generation, Seann tells us about choosing his flat so that he could still get to QPR while hungover. He explains why Blink 182 mean so much to him. And he reveals some of the people who were most helpful after the grisly business of Strictly.  You want more Seann? You got it. He's touring his solo show 'Back from the Bed' around th...

Beloved voice of radio Shaun Keaveny is this week’s Wonderbox guest and he chooses some belters to box up for posterity. Shaun tells some amazing stories; about being backstage with Dave Grohl, about his own band ‘Mosque’, and Russell and Shaun share memories about being the least cool people at BBC Radio 6 Music.   Shaun has transitioned from radio to podcast with style. He now makes a radio show...

It’s Paul Chowdhry this week. The dead-pan British Asian comedy sensation sits down with Russell and selects some topics to chat about that vaguely might represent items for the Wonderbox if you look at them carefully in the right light. Paul tells a story about getting mugged whilst holding a gearstick, and Russell explains why acting up in school might actually be the best thing to do.   Paul is...

Russell and Jon are reunited from their time years ago hosting BBC Radio 6 Music shows together and as you might expect it’s a great episode. Jon and Russell disagree about the need to rehabilitate a happy old woman, Jon waxes lyrical about a wild-west themed pub. He then praises a man who threatened a crowd with a hand grenade. It’s a lot of fun and very much worth your time.   Jon is one of the...

James and Clair Buckley join Russell to preserve their best memories in the Wonderbox. It’s quite a ride. James explains why a man would need five barbecues. Clair explains why five barbecues is too many for anyone. The highlight is probably a story about saving Sonic the Hedgehog from a drugs gang. Sounds implausible but it’s true. Get in there.   James and Clair are prolific online. If you haven...

One of the most iconic voices of the 21st century is with us - the inimitable Iain Stirling! He takes an hour off his busy Love Island voice-over schedule to fill his Wonderbox. Iain lifts the lid on what it’s like behind the scenes in Spain when Love Island is being filmed, he tells Russell about his surprising past as a lawyer (!?) and reveals who is the most reckless man in kid’s TV.   From Mar...

It’s the brilliant John Kearns filling his Wonderbox this week. John goes deep, educating Russell on the delights of being on your own scoffing a YumYum, and has the Wonderbox not only filled, but being held by football commentator Jonathan Pearce. You’ll have to listen to find out what it’s all about, and I recommend you do.   John is one of the greatest live stand-ups around, and his latest tour...

Hollywood star Jameela Jamil is in the studio with Russell this week selecting items from her life for the Wonderbox, and it’s a real treat. Jameela tells some truly exceptional stories, the highlights being when she was caught eating all the ice cream in a video shop, and an incredible story about bumping into Dustin Hoffman with five steaks between her legs. Unmissable stuff.   Jameela is the fo...

This week's Wonderbox belongs to Babatunde Aleshe, star of I'm a Celeb and Celebrity Gogglebox. Babatunde gives Russ some pointers on becoming a Grime MC, how to catch a fainting believer in church and tells Russell who he's stayed in touch with from the jungle (spoiler alert: it's not Matt Hancock).  If you want more Babatunde then you're in luck, you can have more! He's taking his tour show 'Bab...

Fin Taylor takes time away from being a bloody good stand-up and internet sensation to sit down with Russell and whack his belongings into the Wonderbox.    Fin goes on a voyage of self-discovery, uncovering some very traditional tastes (don't worry that's not a euphemism for 'he discovers he's a racist'), followed by a fairly in-depth discussion on bumholes. It's all a lot of fun.   Fin's on tour...

New York-based comedy star Mark Normand sits down with Russell to tell us what gets him going. Mark is an exceptional stand-up from out of New Orleans, called the 'best young up-and-coming comic' by none other than Jerry Seinfeld.    Mark opens spicy by talking Russell through a trip to a Berlin sex club, explains the majesty of skateboarding; the punches just keep coming. It's funny, it's very op...

Roisin Conaty tells Russell about the things she loves the most in the world, and commits them to her Wonderbox.    Roisin tells us about having an existential crisis inside an inflatable doughnut, how a curry opened her eyes, and why as a child she got Pat Sharpe's haircut.    Roisin's sitcom GameFace is still available to watch on Channel 4's website.   Russell will be touring Australia and New...

Greg Davies and Russell sit down to discuss the most precious items in Greg's life. As you might expect from one of the world's greatest storytellers, it's an absolute cracker.    You'll get tales about when Greg pretended to die, when a tree spoke to him and Greg tells the story of why he started stand-up comedy in the first place. It's tremendous from start to finish.    Russell will be touring...

Recorded in sunny Los Angeles, Russell sits down with one of Philadelphia's hottest stand-ups, Clint Coley.  Clint takes Russell through his extensive collection of rare music, Russell takes Clint on a tour of UK accents and they both get deep into a conversation about killer rats.    Clint has self-released his special on YouTube. This means you get to see it for free right now!  My Edible Kicked...

Rising comedy star Maddie Wiener and Russell meet up in New Yeawk and chat about what it's like on the comedy circuit over there. The conversation then takes an unexpected but hugely entertaining turn when Maddie chooses to put Wilbur the syphilitic rabbit into the Wonderbox. That springboards us into a chat about the pros and cons about dropping your guts in the Disneyland queue. A festive treat...

Co-creator of The Chappelle Show and one of US comedy's most influential brains, Neal Brennan, sits down with Russell. Neal explains the vitality of human connection, ayahuasca and ice cream. It's a wild trip through consciousness expansion and which ice cream flavours kick most ass.    If you want to watch Neal's specials, get onto Netflix and search his name, and there they be.    Russell is off...

Man Like Mobeen creator, star and comedian of rare talent - it's Guz Khan. Guz and Russell come together for an electric episode of Wonderbox. It's got everything from putting your noo-nah in a VHS player, childhood quirks like wrapping trees in sellotape, and the episode ends with one of the funniest and most moving stories you'll hear in a long time.  After listening to this episode, y'all are g...

  US comedy megastar Iliza Sheslinger is in the studio! Russell and Iliza talk about the what happens when an audience member drops their guts during a show, a single fingerless glove and the beautiful stench of a closed bar.   Iliza is in the UK right now with her ‘Hard Feelings’ tour. She’s playing the Hammersmith Apollo on the 6th and 8th December, and you can buy those tickets right now from t...

This week, host of Late Night Mash Rachel Parris sits down with Russell to select her most precious items for the Wonderbox.  Russell finds out why the world is a better place because of tiny lederhosen, Tunnock's Teacakes and Rachel recalls her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to normalise British sex toys. Rachel will be taking a show back out across the UK in 2024 so keep your eyes peeled for tha...