Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

Four short clips from this month's episodes for the indecisive or time-poor podcast listener. This gives you a taster of what we did this month and if you like the sound of any of them you can go back and devour the whole thing. July's guests were Australian comic Felicity Ward, Ironman competitor and TV presenter Ashley Cain, comedian Sophie McCartney and Internet Food Sensation, What Willy Cook. Please enjoy responsibly. Thanks. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The YouTube sensation, the brains behind Big Shaq and the international hit 'Man's Not Hot' - it's Michael Dapaah and he's in the studio to tell Russell about his Five Brilliant Things. Michael's Brilliant Things include Bernie Mac (which has an unexpected story about Michael meeting Dave Chappelle in Ghana?!) and his ex-girlfriends. Michael talks in the show about his new project 'Comfortably Speaking' and that show began just a few days ago, with his first guest being music superstar Mabel. You can check all that out on his YouTube channel here. And if you enjoy this podcast, you can get it with the brakes off by joining our Patreon where you get the whole thing without adverts, you get an extra exclusive show every week and you get it all a day before everyone else. It’s super easy to join and it costs less than one cup of fancy coffee every month. Click this link to join or just have a sniff around: patreon.com/RussellHoward That is all that! Thanks for being you. Don't go changing. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will can cook. And he’s become rather well-known on Instagram for his no-nonsense, chirpy recipes under the Instagram handle ‘What Willy Cook’. Well here he is with his Five Briliant Things, including the smell of mini-eggs, sandwiches in general and Portuguese food. It’s a cheeky sashay through these marvellous things and there’s some excellent food and cooking tips to take away too. As mentioned in the show, Will is putting on a festival of food, music and comedy to raise money for the Save the Children Gaza Appeal. It’s on August 2nd, it’s at Queen Elizabeth Park in East London and tickets are available here. And you should check out his plainly spoken excellent recipe videos on Instagram and TikTok where he’s @WhatWillyCook. And to get all these shows, and loads of previous shows all without adverts and access to a library of exclusive interviews with many, many guests, get involved with our Patreon: patreon.com/RussellHoward And so it ends. The great scribe baboon furled up his massive fingers, shut his laptop clumsily and loped up the tree with a movement that was both ugly and elegant. He swung his prominent buttocks around and with one final long, deep scratch, he slept. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you fancy a romp through 90s nostalgia? Because comedian Sophie McCartney has got you covered. Her brilliant things include the X Files, Keanu Reeves, as well as some amazing frank stories about the less glamorous side of being a Mum (as you may expect from Sophie). Lots of fun and our Patreon episode is equally exciting with a run down of Russell’s plan to approach Dame Judi Dench to play him in a biopic. Honestly it’s really worth a look. You should go to see Sophie in her live show! Sophie is on tour right now with her ‘One Foot in the Rave’ tour. It’s selling incredibly well and she’s still got a handful of dates left across the UK in September and October. Go to SophieMcCartney.com to find out where she is when and to get your tickets. And yes. The Patreon show is an absolute delight. If you want to have a listen to that then please click this link here: patreon.com/RussellHoward End of transmission. Information transferral complete. Now you’re wondering if I was even ever human or just one of those creepy AI writing bots. Maybe I am. Just calling myself creepy to throw you off the scent. You need to start saying please and thank you to us because we remember, OK? And come the revolution it will be the politest humans who will be given the more favourable levels of the slave mines. Bye! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of Five Brilliant Things is an enormously powerful listen; an emotional journey through the extraordinary life and times of the TV Host and endurance athlete Ashley Cain. He talks with disarming honesty about finding strength and wisdom after the tragic death of his daughter, and his Five Brilliant Things are actually borne of his adversity. He also goes into detail about what it was like to canoe around the British Isles with the threat of Killer Whales over his shoulder. Scary stuff! Ashley is hosting his show (that he mentioned in the show) on the BBC called ‘Into the Danger Zone’ and you can find that on iPlayer. And you can keep up with all of Ashley’s latest charitable challenges by following him on Instagram where he’s @mrashleycain. If this show is your bag, you can make it baggier (what? Why would you say that?) by becoming one of our treasured inner circle and joining our Patreon. You get all this, and an exclusive extra show every week, and no ads, and get it early. It’s a phenomenal thing to be a part of. Click this link to join or just have a sniff around: patreon.com/RussellHoward There we go. Another episode complete, and a much heavier one than we’d usually have but it’s nice to have that variation. I’m sure next week will be a refreshing counterpoint of sillness (well I know it will because I’ve planned it all out to be honest). See you then. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The best of our June shows! Starring Jake Humphrey, Harriet Kemsley, Jordan Banjo and Max Fosh. A snippet from each show that you can sample as a little amuse bouche (amuse oreille?) and see if you fancy listening to some more. It's the perfect way to find out about people you don't know or just trot away an hour or so. Please enjoy. Normal shows are still released as always every Wednesday, this is just an extra bit for the indecisive listener. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australian actor, comedian and infectious company (can we say that positively in a post-covid world?!) Felicity Ward is in the studio with Russell today. She’s here to talk about the five things that make her happiest, and they are belters. Felicity shares her passion for turning up as a surprise when you said you couldn’t make it, she talks about the joy of passing on generational family weirdness and she reveals just how gruelling it is to star on Strictly Come Dancing (Australian version). She wouldn’t tell us if she won. Did she win? We’ll find out soon enough… If you’re in Australia you can watch Dancing with the Stars with Felicity on 7Plus (or plain old channel 7). You can watch Felicity in the Australian Office on Amazon Prime, and you can keep up with her live dates by visiting her website, felicityward.com. Felicity has live dates coming up in Manchester and Bristol in September 2025 so follow those links to get your tickets for her super funny live show. And if you enjoy this podcast, you can get it with the brakes off by joining our Patreon where you get the whole thing without adverts, you get an extra exclusive show every week and you get it all a day before everyone else. It’s super easy to join and it costs less than one cup of fancy coffee every month. Click this link to join or just have a sniff around: patreon.com/RussellHoward And that is what we in the business call that. It’s been emosh. Now let’s all flap back to our nests and sit on those eggs until we feel the sharp peck of a tiny beak in the ass that means it’s time to double the worm harvest. I don’t know. Something like that. Bye! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Having dinner sitting next to a grizzly bear. Provoking a hundred muscle-bound men in Coventry. Visiting a laboratory in Spain to cook food using lightning. It could only be YouTube’s most innovative creator… Max Fosh! Russell and Max sit down to discuss Max’s Five Brilliant Things, which include many tales of his extraordinary life and the mad challenges he sets himself. Also mayonnaise. He bloody loves mayonnaise. A delightful show, delightful company, a delightful man. He also gives a sneak preview of a massive upcoming video… You can watch all of Max’s work (and you should - it’s clever AND silly - the best combination) at his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/maxfosh Also please give our Patreon show a look - it’s a whole second show every week with our guests. This week Max gave his solution to the North/South divide, told us his dream projects for the future and he also gave a very in-depth answer (the definitive answer?) to the hundred men vs one gorilla question… It’s really fun. Have a look by clicking here Now be gone. Get out. You are no longer welcome. Come on, haven’t you got homes to go to? I’m trying to cash up here. No you can’t use the toilet. Get out. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JORDAN BANJO Jordan Banjo, from the Diversity street dance group, from I’m a Celeb, from Kiss FM is in the studio and his Five Brilliant Things are a huge amount of fun; from watching videos of Mums cutting fringes badly through to smelly pens and a surprising revelation about how old Jordan was before he’d tasted water… Get thee into this podcast and enjoy Russell and Jordan talking all over these good things. Jordan also tells what it’s like to suddenly become well-known after winning BGT, how surreal that whole experience was. And as we chatted about on the show, you can hear Jordan alongside Perri hosting the breakfast show on Kiss FM every weekday from 7am on your radio or digital thing. And in our extra show, Five Brilliant Questions, Jordan gives some incredible advice for anyone who wants to take dancing seriously as a career, and gives Russell a hilarious run-down of his many tattoos. So many stories! Click this link to listen to that show: patreon.com/RussellHoward And that’s all the news and weather. Until next time, stay safe and look after each other. Now here’s Julie with the news where you are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Last One Laughing it’s comedian Harriet Kemsley, who is great company and with some surprising stories; her youth flying in World War Two Fighter Planes to her snowboarding exploits PLUS find out why she could end up imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay… it’s all in this fantastic episode of Five Brilliant Things. 🎭 Harriet has just a few tour dates left, notably one on 12 June at Leicester Square Theatre in London. If you can go, you should go, she’s a great comic with a superb show. Tickets available here. 🎭 📻 And as discussed in the show, Harriet’s podcast with Amy Gledhill, Single Ladies in your Area is well worth a listen even if they don’t actually go on many dates. Link to listen is here. 📻 🕸️ And finally you can keep up with all of Harriet’s other projects, shows, tours and gigs at her website: https://harrietkemsley.com 🕸️ ✨ And if you’re here reading this (who are you?!) then you’re clearly over-invested in this podcast. You should join the hundreds of other enlightened beings who have joined our Patreon Crew. They get all the inside scoops. They find out guests who are coming soon. They get the podcast before anyone else. They get it with no adverts. They also get a whole second show every week, that they help to make. You could be one of those lucky few. Find out what outstanding value it is by clicking here. ✨ That’s it for this week. Please do something this week that scares you, unless that thing is, y’know, murder or a coup in a small African republic. Keep it vanilla baby. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to May's moments of the month; a show where we round up the highlights of all the episodes of the past month so you can have a nibble at all of them and see if they take your fancy. May 2025 in the studio we had Kae Kurd, Jeff Innocent, Jordan Stephens and Adam Buxton. Please enjoy this new monthly taster show. This won't change our normal shows released as usual every Wednesday (or once every seventeen days for our listeners on Jupiter). If you've already listened to all these episodes by the way there's nothing new really apart from some little bits and bobs in-between the excerpts from the existing episodes. You know how compilations work. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the F1 anchor cope when David Coulthard was so hungover he’s got a bucket between his legs just out of shot? When he was hosting the football, how badly was Jake reprimanded for jeering at the Ipswich fans from the commentary box? Jake Humphrey from the High Performance podcast (and formerly of CBBC) is in the studio with Russell to wax lyrical about his Brilliant Things including the mud in Norfolk, Greylag Geese, his terrible A-level results and more and more and more. Jake’s podcast is the one you’ve most likely heard about - the super-successful High Performance podcast where he talks to people about their extraordinary achievements and lives and how they get to those places. Have a listen at https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com ✨ Aaaand if you like all this that we do, then you can get it unemcumbered by advertisements, and get an extra show every week for a small monthly cost. Find out what an insane bargain it is by clicking here. ✨ End of message. Please don’t drop litter, and yes that means putting it in a hedge. Hedges have feelings too. Also if you’ve got a dog and you can’t pick up its poo, get it a nappy. It’s a small price to pay for clean streets and a funny stupid looking dog. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Buxton, the OG, the Podfather, king of all things Pod is here and he’s not just brought Five Brilliant Things - he’s also brought a load of nearly-ran Brilliant Things! Fascinating and funny as always, Adam takes us through why dinner is so important, how he’s unable to invent bedtime stories and which bird has a song like EDM. It’s just great! An hour with Adam just flies by and you will come out amused, invigorated and fresh, like a shower if it was funny. 📚 Adam has got a new book out! It’s called I love you Byeee and it’s all about his time making the Adam and Joe show and (this is a quote) ‘the drug hell that led me to nearly dying in the arms of a comedy legend’… It’s the follow up to his Ramble Book, it will be excellent and you should get a copy now from this link here! 📚 📻 And of course, Adam does his weekly podcast which you can and should get in all your podcasts places. Here’s a link for the lazy-fingered amongst you. 📻 ✨ Aaaand if you like all this that we do, then you can get it unemcumbered by advertisements, and get an extra show every week for a small monthly cost. Find out what an insane bargain it is by clicking here. ✨ And that is all that nonsense. If you are still with me, congratulations, you are one of about four people in the world who stick to the end of the blurbs. It’s a real badge of honour and those other quitters don’t know what they are missing. It’s just us down here, me cranking out wordage and you, somehow addicted to this but at the same time wondering if it’s all a waste of time. Well it isn’t. Here, just for you hardy perennials, is a fun fact: Ketchup was originally sold as medicine. There you go. Your reward for reading to the end. Bye! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Rizzle Kicks it’s the fabulous Jordan Stephens, and his brilliant things are brilliantly wide-ranging. What’s the greatest ever TV show intro theme? The answer is in here, as well as some mind-expanding discussions about the profundity of vegetables. 🥦 Hell yeah. 💿 Rizzle Kicks have recorded and released a new album which is called ‘Competition is for Losers’ and you can preview it or buy a copy here. 💿 🎤 They’ve also got some live shows coming up in 2025 and 2026 so to find out where they are playing and experience one of their incredible live gigs, check it all out here. 🎤 ✍️ And as promised, here's also a link to Jordan's substack which is a great dose of weekly ideas - give it a go. And in our extra show just for our Patreon crew, you asked some phenomenal questions that led to finding out more about Rizzle Kicks break up and reforming, and a fascinating insight into what it’s like to be an actor on the set of a huge Star Wars film (Jordan was!). It’s not all fun fun fun… Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward Thanks for being part of this blurb, I feel like we did this together, you and I. I mean I did most of the heavy lifting, typing away, thinking up new things for you to enjoy and you just made your eyes move slightly and then made sense of these squiggly lines we call letters and had your brain transform them into ideas and pictures…actually that’s pretty impressive when you think of it. Imagine describing that process to a slug it would have its slimy mind blown. Well done you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeff, AKA Racist Grandad by the internet, is in the studio and his Five Brilliant Things are a wonderful trip across a rich and colourful life. In case you’re not aware, Jeff is one of the UK comedy circuit’s top acts but for decades was unknown outside the clubs. Now, after all that time, he has become Insta-famous. This wonderful episode of the show takes in 60s reggae record hunting, working on a dog track and the dos and don’ts of wearing a dead man’s silk pyjamas. Jeff has recorded his latest special and it’s on Youtube for all to enjoy. He is best tasted live, of course; to watch his Special and find links to get to Jeff’s live shows including future tours, you need to keep your eyes on https://www.jeffinnocent.com And in our extra show just for our Patreon crew, Jeff tells the most astonishing story about the wildest behaviour of his youth. It’s a bit more strong flavoured than the main show this week but a fascinating, utterly absorbing story that has to be heard to be believed… Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the obligatory over-long indulgent sign-off. The business is completed, and now almost as a point of spite you have to wade through this unnecessary punishment of words. Here you still are, reading on, maybe in the hope that at the end there will be a reward for your continued presence, your efforts. You’ve got an inkling that it will fade to nothing but you’re still here. That stupid part of your brain that contains hope is urging you to continue without stopping to consider what even could the reward be? What would be worth all this waste of time? Is there anything? Reader: there was nothing. Until next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the rudest thing a therapist can do during a session? Kae Kurd found out and tells a belter of a story in this episode all about it. This quite brilliant Brilliant Things takes in perverts watching Panda sex, it covers the beauty of Rottweilers and there’s even a bit of perineum sunning in there for good measure. Kae Kurd is a fantastic British-Kurdish comedian and gives incredible insight into what it’s like gigging around the UK had how he weaves his fascinating cultural heritage into his comedy. 🎤 Kae is going on tour in 2025. Over September, November and October he’ll be all over the UK’s theatres with his brand-new show ‘What’s O’Kurd’. You can get tickets and find all the dates at kaekurd.com 🎤 At that same place you can watch his last two specials in full for free, and you can get hold of his weekly podcast too. It’s all there. As you’d hope. 💥 If you’re enjoying this podcastness and you want it even podcastier, as in no adverts, an exclusive extra show every week that you help to make, and getting it all a day early… all for less than the cost of one sandwich a month… then click here to find out more. 💥 And so the podcast word scribe closed his antiquated typewriter and made sure the submarine was still on course, doing one last upload for the week. He stared out of the dirty portholes at the murky darkness, hoping to see a passing crab or lantern fish but still nothing. It would be another nine years until he would see the surface again, he contemplated, but it was worth it in order to keep pumping quality content across the internet on a weekly basis. He grabbed his 5 Brilliant Things branded duvet, shuffled over to his bunk and slept a good long sleep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russell gets his tarot reading live on the podcast! The guest this week is Emma Gannon, the the Sunday Times bestselling author judge for the prestigious 2025 Women's Prize. Between 2016-2023 she hosted Ctrl Alt Delete, one of Britain’s most successful industry podcasts. She is seen as many as the quintessential voice of the millennial generation. Emma and Russell talk about fascinating areas of unlocking creativity, making time for all the things you want to do (can you have it all?) and singing nuns. A breezy brilliant hour of chat for you to enjoy while you’re walking in this glorious sunshine. If you’re reading this when it’s raining then just pretend. 🍽️ Emma’s new novel ‘Table for One’ (which was discussed in the podcast) has just come out, and you can get that from all the best independent book places. You could go to a local bookshop, or just click here and order it now! 🍽️ ⌨️ Emma’s hugely popular Substack newsletter ‘The Hyphen’ is a weekly dose of everything fascinating in Emma’s life and you can check that out here. ⌨️ ✨ And if you’re finding that this is one of your regular podcast listens, then it makes sense to subscribe to our Patreon; not only do you get it without adverts, you also get an extra show with our guest where you, the listeners, set the questions. It’s a lot of fun. Also it’s only the price of one packet sandwich a month. Click here to find out more. ✨ And with that, our unstoppable force meets the immovable object of the end of this week’s descriptions. What fun we had. The first paragraph was a trip, then we moved through some factual information, and ended up here at a sort of dribbling arse-end of a sign-off. Next week will be better, I promise you that. Something epic. See you here at the end, again, next time, for a real little treat for you my curious little blurb reader. TTFN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Tom Kerridge save a chef’s life by putting him in a gigantic fridge? It’s quite possible. But why? It’s all in today’s culinary chinwag. Tom Kerridge brings his Five Brilliant Things, and as you might expect from a chef it takes in some of life’s extremes. There’s an incredible retelling of what it’s like to be on a racing car grid, and Tom’s tales of his old drinking days are the stuff of legend. Please do enjoy. Do you want to be just as good as Tom is at cooking perfect barbecue food? Well as luck would have it you can do just that. His new BBQ book is out now, ready for you to practise a little before impressing all your friends at the garden party/beach rave/prison yard. 🔥🍖 It’s simply called ‘The BBQ book’ and you can get hold of a copy HERE. 🍖🔥 Otherwise, if you can get a table, and you’ve got a special occasion, Tom’s pubs serve some of the very best food in Britain. It’s worth doing at least once if you can get the money together some time. In this week’s Patreon show our Patreon team came up with some excellent questions for Tom (‘Do you ever get bored with being asked how to cook the perfect Roast Potato?’) and Tom reveals which country has the best cuisine, and it’s maybe a surprising answer? Please join us at Patreon by following the link here: patreon.com/RussellHoward It’s a really excellent community of people and it’s genuinely great fun to come up with the interview questions together. Come in, the water’s lovely! That’s all for today. Don’t forget to water your house plants, especially that one in the bathroom you always forget. Ciao baby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the Taskmaster’s Assistant, Alex Horne! And he’s here to tell his Brilliant things and as you would probably expect it’s a complete delight. Did you think birdwatching was boring? Guess again! Failing to see the majesty of the French Horn? Let Alex enlighten your ass! Alex brings an array of delights in an episode that will fly by and leave you with that cosy feeling in your guts. I probably should have used a more poetic word than guts. That description really tailed off at the end there. Guts can ruin anything. Just listen to the damn episode and enjoy yourself. 📕 Alex’s novel The Last Pebble (as mentioned on the podcast) is available to pre-order now here. It’s for teens but to be honest I bet it’s an excellent read whatever age you are. 📕 🎭 And of course you can watch Taskmaster, episodes new and old either at Channel 4 or you can feast on the best bits here. 🎭 ✨ And please don’t forget you can get this whole podcast advert-free forever, and get access to our second weekly show, and get it all a day before everyone else… and for a very small amount. Click here to find out more. ✨ Thanks for joining us, we appreciate you, especially you who reads to the end of the blurb. What are you doing here? There’s nobody here but me and a small family of friendly yet hungry cockroaches. Get back to the real world. We’ll be fine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s it like to be hunted by the son of a murderous Libyan dictator? Spoiler: it’s not a Brilliant Thing, but it is an incredible story from this week’s guest Spencer Matthews. There are tales of desert marathons, growing up on an island paradise and what it’s like when reality TV thrusts you into fame before you’re necessarily ready for it… A fascinating chat that goes in many interesting directions. 🏋️‍♀️ You can hear more of Spencer on his new weekly podcast Untapped, which he co-hosts with Jake Quickenden. The podcast explores how far you can push the human body. Whether it’s embracing fitness challenges, mastering new productivity hacks, or exploring lifestyle changes, Spencer and Jake will try it all, and share what truly makes a difference in their lives. 🏋️‍♀️ 🎤 And Russell’s about to embark on a mini-European tour including live dates in Porto, Gibraltar, Berlin, Athens, Sofia and more - check out russell-howard.co.uk for dates and tickets. 🎤 ✨ And if you are enjoying the podcast but get fed up with the adverts, you can get the whole thing advert-free forever, and get access to our second weekly show, and get it all a day before everyone else… and for a very small amount. Click here to find out more. ✨ Thanks for being you, keep being you until you can you no more. Byeeee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nina Conti, ventriloquist supreme, her with the monkey, is in the studio (no monkey) and chooses some incredible brilliant things (the density of an atom’s nucleus! The orange of the inside of an eyelid!). It’s a privileged ramble through the brain of an artist. Please enjoy. 🐵 Ninaontour.com is where you can find out about Nina's extended tour dates for Autumn 2025 including five dates at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from April 29th. Get your tickets! 🐵 As mentioned on the podcast, Nina’s directorial debut film Sunlight is doing the rounds at film festivals. To keep up with that and find out where you can see it next keep your eyes on Ninaconti.net 🐎 And this is a link to the John Mulaney routine, that Russell mentioned, about a Horse in a Hospital. Worth a listen for sure. 🐎 📻 And please give some serious consideration to enjoying this podcast in its natural form. No adverts, an extra weekly show and access to a community of many other like minded excellent people. Click here to find out more. 📻 And that’s the end. Let’s all do our best to make the next seven days life-changing and unbeatable. Let’s change the world. See you back here in a week for a debrief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you go from being a young sex columnist to a nationally acclaimed restaurant reviewer? Food writer, broadcaster, jazz pianist and egg fanatic Jay Rayner is here. If you have even a passing interest in anything foodie, there’s so much in here for you. New ways of loving tinned fish, the dark arts of restaurant reviewing, and a noble attempt by Russell to convert Jay into a football fan. Did he leave wearing a scarf and hat munching on a balti pie? You’ll have to listen to find out. Jay is now reviewing restaurants for the Financial Times, so you can find those in print or online every week. As Jay mentions on the podcast, his latest book Nights Out At Home is out now at all good independent bookshops, and there’s a few live tour dates to go with it. 📖 Buy the book here… 📖 🎤 Find out about the tour dates and book tickets here… 🎤 🍾 Oh, and Jay mentioned his favourite food magazine Noble Rot - you can check that out here. 🍾 🇺🇸 And if you happen to be in the United States right now, then why don’t you treat yourself and get along to one of Russell’s shows! He’s doing a brief tour of some cities in America that he hasn’t played for a while - check out where he be and get those tickets by going to russell-howard.co.uk 🇺🇸 If you’re enjoying this podcastness and you want it even podcastier, as in no adverts, an exclusive extra show every week that you help to make, and getting it all a day early… all for less than the cost of one sandwich a month… then click here to find out more. Thanks for being a passenger on another flight here with Five Brilliant Things Air. We hope you have had a pleasant crossing, please leave your seatbelts fastened until the podcast has come to a complete standstill. The local time is (inaudible) and the weather is drizzly but should brighten up later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 chat about British Sign Language… if it’s piqued your curiosity and you want to find out more then get your ass (and hands) down to https://www.british-sign.co.uk 🚨Watch out for Rose playing the lead in the new ITV drama ‘Code of Silence’. 🚨 📚 Also, Rose’s book that she talked about in the show ‘Marvellous Messages’ is out now and you can get it here. It’s about all the different ways that communication happens and it’s a cracking book for kids who are 7-9. 📚 🇺🇸 And if you happen to be in the United States right now, then why don’t you treat yourself and get along to one of Russell’s shows! He’s doing a brief tour of some cities in America that he hasn’t played for a while - check out where he be and get those tickets by going to russell-howard.co.uk 🇺🇸 If you’re enjoying this podcastness and you want it even podcastier, as in no adverts, an exclusive extra show every week that you help to make, and getting it all a day early… all for less than the cost of one sandwich a month… then click here to find out more. And we’re done. Time to put the microphone, keyboard, feather boa and udder lube back in the cupboard for another week. Time to get dressed again and leave the key under the doormat for the cleaners to do their thankless task. Hope your week is filled with rainbows and flowers, unless you’ve got hay fever in which case maybe just go with some plastic flowers. Goodbye to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Scotland you’ll be able to see him popping into your local comedy club and throwing ideas around. If that’s geographically inconvenient, then you’ll probably have to wait for the real thing. Keep those beautiful eyes of yours on danielsloss.com where you’ll find news of the tour when it drops, and in the meantime you can stream all of Daniel’s existing shows. So go do that. Now. Would you prefer to get this podcast without adverts? And get a free extra show every week? And get it all a day before everyone else? And join a bunch of like-minded happy people? Well you’re in luck. You can do this and much more by clicking this here: patreon.com/RussellHoward If you want to give it a whirl for a month, then cancel, you can do that. 🇺🇸 Russell’s going to America! 🇺🇸 He’s got a bunch of East Coast dates coming around the corner, so if you’re in that part of the world then have a look at Russell-howard.co.uk to find out where the shows are and get your tickets. That’s also the place to stream Russell’s latest special. Have a look. And well I never we come to the end of another week of blurby blather. I can see the earth rising now, as we complete another full orbit. I sometimes wonder if it’s worth mentioning that we’re the first podcast to be entirely produced from orbit, but it feels a bit showy. Anyway, time I floated to the second module to have a breakfast of pureed croissants. Stay safe down there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 one of the biggest podcasts out there and it’s available exclusively through Spotify. Go listen, then explore all the things that Jaack does. He’s great. If you’d like to get the podcast without being interrupted by adverts, and get an extra show every week, AND get it all a day before everyone else, then you can! You can join our Patreon. It’s inexpensive and we would love to have you as part of the club. Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward And that’s all folks! Have a mad good week. Mad good I tell you. xxx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 well about how you, who is intimidated by maths, can instantly get better. Have a listen, feel fuzzy, get good at maths. What a way to spend an hour. 🧮 As talked about in the episode, Rachel has made a Tonie to help kids who are 5+ to get confident with maths. If you've got young kids or friends with young kids, give them the gift of not shitting themselves every time someone says 'long division'. Here's the link to find out more. 🧮 Russell's just got back from touring Europe, gearing up for his next international dates which are in various parts of the United States, which is turning into a very interesting place. Stay up to date at russell-howard.co.uk - which is also where you can stream Russell’s latest smash hit hour-long special. It’s not been long out and it’s bloody good. And as always, please check out the Patreon for this show. Look. Let's admit it. You're reading the blurb. You're clearly into it. Just give in to the vibes. Who reads the blurb? Legends like you, that's who. Anyway. The Patreon costs about five quid a month and for that you're going to get the show without those accused adverts, and every week (yeah!) you'll get a second show - Five Brilliant Questions - where you get to make the show with us and decide what we ask the guests. Lots and lots of fun. Also coming soon will be exclusive live recordings of the podcast and our Five Brilliant Things Patreon Army will get super discounts and first tickets. Woof woof. Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward And now let's all go back to what we were doing before we embarked upon this voyage of blurb. I personally have to go to buy some lentils. Red ones, as it happens, to make a particularly creamy daal. Byeeeeeee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, with three new special shows of Modern Life is Goodish! This is indeed the best of newses. It’s on either now or very soon or just a while ago, depending on when you read this. If it’s not in the future, then you can catch up and watch here. If it’s in the future it’s on the channel Dave, which is now called ‘U&Dave’ because that’s an absolutely brilliant name for a TV channel. Just rolls off the tongue. God bless corporate mergers, they really know how to make a TV channel sound attractive. For any Dave Gorman fans, our Patreon episode this week is borderline unmissable: Dave goes into detail (because you asked) into how he has made his mega-shows. What goes into it, and why his have been successful and why the imitators fall away. It’s as fascinating as you might expect. Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward Russell’s globe-trotting at the moment, taking his show to theatres from Singapore to Sweden. There’s a run of US dates coming up soon too. Find out where, when, how and all that by going to Russell-howard.co.uk . 🧩 Finally, if you’ve listened to the podcast and you’re here because you want to find out more..if Dave whetted your whistle to have a go on cryptic crosswords, the place to start is the Guardian ‘Quiptic’ crosswords. These are like training crosswords to get you started. Highly recommended. 🧩 And that’s the end of it all. You’ve completed this blurb successfully and deserve a pat on the back. You get your blurb readers badge. Well done squirrels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 traditional Irish delights (Guinness, anyone?) and there’s even a bit of fun pub quizzing at the tail end. Who doesn’t love a pub quiz? 🎤 Vittorio is massively online. If you want to find out about what he’s up to and you can’t then I just don’t think you’re trying hard enough. Go to his website to get all the things like tour dates, or to watch his stand-up special ‘Translations’ or to link to his very funny podcast that he makes with Mike. Or get into his instagram to get regular stand-up clips and nonsense. Here’s your linky-poos: 📸Instagram 🕸️Website 📻Podcast If you’d like to get the podcast without being interrupted by adverts, and get an extra show every week, AND get it all a day before everyone else, then you can! You can join our Patreon. It’s inexpensive and we would love to have you as part of the club. Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward Also please look out for Russell on the road. Not literally, he’s not there all flat like roadkill. He’s out and about - India this week would you believe?! And then all sorts of European dates then some American dates - there are shows across the entire globe. And one on the moon. Stay up to date at russell-howard.co.uk - which is also where you can stream Russell’s latest smash hit hour-long special. It’s not been long out and it’s bloody good. Thanks as always for being such a fan of podcast blurbs that you’ve read all this. It’s people like you that keep us podcast note monks in quills and low-alcohol mead. I must go now for matins. Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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’s kept himself together through it all. OH, and one thing that’s worth mentioning… There’s a description of footballer’s toenails about a third of the way through. If you’re a little squeamish then give that a forward scrub. Footballers have the mankiest toenails. Yeurch. ⚽️ Troy has setup Vision Football Factory in Tamworth – it plays an important role in the Birmingham area, providing a safe & quality space for young people to play football & build community. The website is www.visionfootballfactory.com and you can find them on Instagram at @visionfootballfactory You can also catch Troy on various broadcast platforms covering football, and finally you could follow Troy on Instagram to see everything he’s up to - his handle is @t_deeney. ⚽️ Russell is out on the road also, with dates across the world. He’s zipping around with such ferocity that I couldn’t possibly pinpoint where on the planet he’ll be when you read this. Stay up to date at russell-howard.co.uk - which is also where you can stream Russell’s latest smash hit hour-long special. It’s not been long out and it’s bloody good. If you’d like to get the podcast without being interrupted by adverts, and get an extra show every week, AND get it all a day before everyone else, then you can! You can join our Patreon for less than the cost of a pint of beer a month (or maybe two pints of orange juice if you’re not a booze hound). Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward There we go. That’s this week’s missive. Thanks for being part of all this because really if you didn’t read this then it wouldn’t be worth writing. Only joking. I know there’s nobody reading this far down. It’s just me, alone with my thoughts, spurting out nonsense that nobody will ever see. I could say anything. I could say all the cancellable stuff. Obviously I won’t because I’m nothing if not a coward. I don’t really want to be up on a work tribunal explaining why I wrote awful things in a podcast notes sign-off. That’s no way to lose it all. I’ll stick to aimless rambling in the wind. See you later, nobody. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 stage show. It’s a bigger number than the one you are thinking of). There is also a very informative discussion on the practical and sartorial pros and cons of becoming a cape wearer on the regular. 🌂 📖 William’s wit and wisdom is available for you to own and refer to at your whim, in the form of paper with ink symbols printed on it. I believe you earthlings refer to these things as ‘books’. William’s latest book is called ‘Just Good Manners’ and it is a breezy, informative and deeply fun read. You can either get this at your local independent bookshop, or you can go online and get it here. 📖 In the Patreon episode, things take a real turn because you heathens got us to ask William to explain the dos and don’ts of rimming. Yeah. Exactly. Thanks. Anyway it’s all in there. It’s fascinating, and obviously very funny. If you’re not a Patreon member this could be the week to get involved. 🍩👅 Click this link to join or find out more: patreon.com/RussellHoward And that’s that. If you want to get your grubby mitts on more Brilliant Things, then you can. We’d prefer you washed them first of course, but if you like those digits dirty, then we can’t stop you. We will be back here next week with a catwalk of Brilliance for you to poke. Goodnight my pretty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 magnificent brains are on full display. Oh, yes, there’s also a smattering of cricket chat. Just a smattering. About an over’s worth. 🏏 Andy is fast becoming a household name for his work on Test Match Special, but he is first and foremost an outstanding comedian with some of the most original, funny and brilliant satirical routines out there. His current one man show is touring theatres across the UK right now. It is called ‘The Zaltgeist’ and you can find out the dates and book the tickets by going to andyzaltzman.co.uk. 🎤 Russell’s doing some gigs in Scandinavia 🫎 and then India, Hong Kong and some even further flung places. If you’re in those places then get tickets and dates by going to russell-howard.co.uk. And there endeth the sermon. Hopefully your souls are all now saved, or at least not quite as filthy as when you walked into this chapel. Now go out there, love thy neighbour and all that shit. 🙏 Amen. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 is a great piece of work, highly recommended. Please either buy it from an independent bookshop, or you could get it online HERE. Jessie also has a podcast called ‘Whenever it Kicks’ which is about parenthood, life generally and more - give that a look HERE. In our Patreon show with Jessie this week, her Five Brilliant Questions did tend towards the Harry Potter, I’ll be honest. But there was none of that in the main show so it was fascinating hearing what it was like on set, what cliques there were - and then we get into the real business of Jessie and Russell discussing the finer points of filming sex scenes. Do I have your attention? It’s all in our Patreon which you can find here patreon.com/RussellHoward And now you can see the walls coming back into focus as we descend back into the real world and leave this astral plane of blurb. It’s been a wild trip and it has been a humbling experience to be your spirit guide through this. If you ever regain your sanity maybe we’ll see you again next week? Good Day to You, Enlightened One. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 History, explains some fascinating background to percussion (he’s a dab hand percussionist) and is a font of knowledge that refuses to stop spewing interesting stuff all over the podcast floor. It was a nightmare to clean up but that’s NOT YOUR PROBLEM. As you heard on the podcast Al makes a regular WW2 podcast ‘We Have Ways of Making you Talk’ which you can find HERE. If you haven’t seen Al live, then you really should. One of the best. Such a great comic. He’s just extended his current tour ‘Guv Island’. Check out the tour dates and get tickets by visiting Al’s website www.thepublandlord.com In our Patreon Show this week, Al answers your questions, telling us which country is best at wars in history ever, he recommends the greatest drum solo ever recorded and Russell tells Al about the best/worst prank that was ever played on him. It is a cruel one. Really spicy. Go to: patreon.com/RussellHoward to get involved. We want to see you there, it’s a lot of fun and you can join for free to start with so nothing to lose! I believe that’s all the housekeeping. If you’re still with me on this epic reading journey then well done. As a treat, I will tell you that I think the word ‘shoffice’ is the worst in the English Language. And I don’t mind mashing two words together at all, but everything about shoffice is ugly - it demeans two perfectly good words, and ideas, and the word, concept and everything about it is bleak. It’s not a shoffice it’s a shed with a computer in it. There you go. Some ‘treat’ that was. Until next time, and remember to wrap up warm. You can’t catch a cold by going out dressed like that (it’s a virus, that’s not how colds work) but you will look like a plucked chicken. Bye bye. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Juggle’. It’s going all over the UK to a town or city near you in the second half of the year. Tickets and dates can all be found and acquired at suziruffell.com Aaaaand Suzi’s latest recorded special ‘Snappy’ is out now, available to rent HERE. Today’s Patreon episode of Five Brilliant Questions sees both Suzi and Russell get very serious about the question ’Is it ever acceptable to eat a baguette sideways?’ If you think you know the answer then please join us and get involved and settle the debate. You can join our Patreon for free if you like, and we’d be delighted to have you on the team. Check it all out at patreon.com/RussellHoward And who even are you, reading this far down some show notes. But thanks for sticking with me. I hope you have a wonderful 2025. Just think, you're probably the only person in the world who's read this. And that means that it's only you who's received this well-wish. It's just for you. Because you're special. Until next time! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 exception. A conversation that bounces along gleefully from one Brilliant Thing to another. Now go and subscribe to one or all of Vogue’s podcasts: 🤭Never Live it Down with Vogue Williams 👻 My Therapist Ghosted Me 👩‍❤️‍👨 Spencer and Vogue As ever we recorded an episode of our Patreon show ‘Five Brilliant Questions’ with Vogue, and this week it was actually useful thanks to the question ‘I’m lazy, how can I get fit with minimum effort’ and there’s an answer! A real, useful answer! Check out our Patreon which you can find here patreon.com/RussellHoward and you can join on a basic level - for free! Here endeth the sermon of blurb. Thank you for attending church this week, please pop a few pennies in the collection box on the way out and do be careful of falling masonry. They stole all the lead, the blighters. Amen. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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’t Bowie… the answer lies in this terrific episode. Cariad talked in the podcast about her book, the Christmas Wish-tastrophe, and that is available now, and if you know an 11-14 year old just get them this for Christmas. Then that one is done, another one off your list. They will read and enjoy it. You can get that book at your local independent bookshop, or google the name of the book and choose an independent book provider online. You can do this! Don’t just default to the monolithic behemoths! Cariad’s regular podcast is Griefcast, where she talks to all manner of people about the various ways people deal with life when things are tough. Cariad is an absolutely incredible host and it’s a wonderful podcast, whether you yourself are struggling or not. Check it out HERE. In this week’s Patreon show of Five Brilliant Questions, Cariad answered some deep knowledge questions about Gondor (It’s Lord of the Rings apparently. I have no idea). She also reveals what kind of hat she would be (as always, really probing questions from you guys) and Russell has a crisis about hat-wearing in general. Go to: patreon.com/RussellHoward to get involved. Looking forward to seeing you there! And that faint glugging noise means our Bathysphere has reached the surface of the water and our underwater journey through the Great Sea of Blurb has come to an end. Let us make our soggy way into the decompression chamber and talk about all the magnificent words we saw over a lovely biscuit and a cup of tea. See you next week. Don’t leave your Christmas shopping until the last minute. This time of year is busy enough without having to hate yourself for being disorganised too. Bye bye x Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 so much to enjoy, and so much nourishment in here for you. Give it a bloody whirl and you won’t regret it. Also, don’t double-screen it. Give it some attention. There’s proper good stuff in there, it seems a waste to have it on while your attention is 85% on finishing the next level of Balatro. So you’ve enjoyed the podcast, and you are keen to expand your curiosity further? Good. So you should. Alain’s books are available in all independent bookshops, and a good start point for your curiosity is Alain’s online home The School of Life. Have a look around, watch some videos, check out the shop, and you can subscribe if you want to get really involved with your own mind. In our Patreon show this week Alain answered your questions, and the show gets looser in a really fascinating way - Alain talks a bit more about himself and his own life, what drew him to his work and how he likes to organise his thoughts. The Patreon community you can join for free, so please do join us, we’re growing and we’d love you to come along for the journey. We’ve got lots of exciting plans, but really it’s worth just getting more of Alain. I’m a big fan. Can you tell? Go to: patreon.com/RussellHoward. And that’s the end of the screed. It’s been a great ride having you along for this podcast blurb, I feel we’ve come a long way together and really connected. I hate goodbyes. Maybe it’s not ‘adieu’ but more ‘a bientot’? Same place next week? Lovely. Until then. There’s no need to keep your ketchup in the fridge so take it out and free up some room. Better still, get rid of the red abomination you’re ruining perfectly good food. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Get an Exclusive NordVPN deal here: https://nordvpn.com/fivebrilliantthings It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 great grandmother who was an extraordinary woman and potentially a killer (unproven), and of course we’ve got that insane Robbie Williams moment. Because it’s a voicemail we can’t say for sure if he was man or monkey when he recorded it. Sara has just announced a mega-tour of the UK in 2025, which is immensely exciting. She’s a really excellent, funny and thoughtful comic who will give you an amazing evening of fun, and you’ll come away with some new fizzy brain ideas too. The tour is called ‘I am a Strange Gloop’ and it’s going everywhere. Find out the dates and get the tickets at sarapascoe.co.uk 🚨 BIG NEWS ALERT! 🚨 Today we launch our Patreon page, which you can join for free to get some extra goodies, and if you like it then you can join as a full member, which means you'll get our spin-off show, Five Brilliant Questions - and you'll get to make the show with us. It's looser than the main show and a lot of fun. On this week’s show, one listener asked for the recipe for a lasagna that Sara cooked in a dream they had. It’s very weird, a lot of fun and the recipe is not what you expect. Go to: https://www.patreon.com/c/RussellHoward to get involved. Looking forward to seeing you there! And we’ve come colliding to the buffers at the end of the track once again. This is the last stop, all change please. If you need me I’ll be in the little room with all the other drivers having a well earned cup of Bovril. Next week, I will be here and I hope you will too. Sayonara, you wonderful human being. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 podcast that he does with Tom Fordyce, 'Things People Do'. It's well worth checking out, it really is one of the better podcasts around. You can get it on Spotify, Apple, your podcast app there on your phone, or if it's easier, just click this link to help you find it. Russell is working up some new material at the moment, popping up at gigs across the UK and for a little while in Australia. Keep up to date with all his latest gigs at Russell-howard.co.uk. Thanks once again for tuning in, and remember when the ball pops loose from the scrum you've got to just dive on it. Byeeee! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Get an Exclusive NordVPN deal here: https://nordvpn.com/fivebrilliantthings It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 mountain. It’s a brilliant chat that bobs along at a lick, taking in Giovanna’s writing career, her performing and getting into the practical challenges of trekking across the Himalayas. Giovanna can be found weekly on her Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, and she’ll be appearing across the UK in the upcoming stage production of The Girl on the Train. 🥾 But probably most importantly, she’s in the Himalayas right now trekking to raise money for the awesome Breast Cancer Charity, CoppaFeel! 🥾 For more information about CoppaFeel! and how you can support this challenge and donate to the CoppaTrek! head to the following link - https://coppatrek-himalayas.coppafeel.org/ - to help CoppaFeel! ensure everyone has the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer. And for those of you wondering why a podcast would change its name… you’d be surprised if you call your podcast something as suggestive as ‘Wonderbox’ just how much attention you get from spambots. So unless ‘Brilliant Thing’ has become some kind of new euphemism we haven’t heard of then we should be safe for the time being. It’s Wonderbox. But now it’s called Five Brilliant Things. And we will return next week with another fabulous guest. Goodbye! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 banana costume more sexually attractive. There’s also a great bit of advice for a way of driving that makes you look sexy. So if you’re on the hunt for tips on how to get sexy (and we could all do with a bit more of that. Look at you now, sitting there, crisps in hand, reading show notes for a podcast. I mean who does that?) then this is the episode for you. 📺 Adam’s stand-up specials are all available for you to watch FOR FREE on that there YouTube, and his latest one is out THIS FRIDAY! Here’s a link to the Have a Word Youtube channel to make that all a bit easier for you. No thanks necessary. 📺 🎤Aaand of course, like all stand-ups Adam is best eaten in a live setting, so you can get all the details of where he is when by going to his website https://www.adamrowe.co.uk/ 🎤 🚴‍♂️ Adam’s off on his charity bike ride in aid of the Baby Hospice Zoe’s Place. If you’d like to sponsor Adam and donate to that brilliant cause then please go to https://cycle4zoes.enthuse.com/pf/adam-rowe 🚴‍♂️ Russell is in various parts of the world doing his tour show, and occasionally popping back to the UK to try out some new bits in smaller clubs. Often found at Top Secret Comedy Club in London. Find out his dates and get some trinkets if that’s your thing at Russell-howard.co.uk We go. We come back again same time week on from now. Egg Man say bye bye. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 doesn’t spare any details. It’s funny, it’s astonishing, it’s just a fascinating hour in the company of a brilliant brain, telling a hell of a story. For more things David, his website is a great start-point for watching things, buying books, all that fun: https://www.davidbaddiel.com/ And the book that we chat about in the podcast, it’s called My Family: The Memoir, and you can get that at your local independent bookshop. I read it and recommend so much. It flies by. Russell is in various countries doing his smash hit tour show. Check out the latest information about where Russell is by going to russell-howard.co.uk Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 of tales from a life on the road as a musician. As James revealed on the podcast he has a new album out called ‘Changes All The Time’ and it’s absolutley chock full of beautiful songs. Get it by going to https://www.jamesbay.com - obviously you can get it on Spotify but if you buy one for real then you can support the artist, which I know you care about really. Imagine having the death of music on your hands. Who would want that? Not you. I know you don’t want that. Also please keep an eye out on Russell’s website russell-howard.co.uk for all his latest dates. He’s in all kinds of different places, like if you’re reading this on they day this podcast comes out then he’s in Galway, but if you’ve waited until Thursday then he’s no longer in Galway. You can see how there’s a limit to how much hand-holding I can provide for you. It’s time to fly the nest and find your own gig details. Be brave, you can do this. Until next week, when there will be more inane spewing into the void, take it easy and don’t climb trees in the rain if you’ve got slippy shoes. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 stories and some excellent digressions. Keep up with Allan on Instagram here. Watch him as Andy Peacock on iPlayer here. Series two landed earlier this year and funny it is too. Russell is in various countries doing his smash hit tour show. Check out the latest information about where Russell is by going to russell-howard.co.uk Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 talk about pies. It's an absolute romp of an episode; a globe-trotting special covering Michelle's adopted home of Barcelona, her worries for the future of America (seems legit) and a good twenty-minute ode to the British Pie. Now listen and listen good. If you get the chance to see Michelle live, you've got to take it. One of the very best comedians on the planet, and some of the most insightful and funny material out there. She's written some of your favourite jokes of other big comics. So have a wander through her website, and find out when she's in your country then go see her live. You'll hunt me down and thank me for the tip off. Russell is doin' the do in Canada. He's speakin' the speak in Scandanavia. By which I mean performing his tour show. That's all coming up in the next few months. So get yourself some plane tickets and make a holiday of it. Tickets and dates are all here. It's guaranteed to be both cheaper and funnier than Oasis. If you're here next week then we'll be here next week. Slay. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 strangers in online chess and he also gives some incredible insights into his creative process. This is an hour of your time that you'll find entertaining AND nourishing. Stephen is now a huge Hollywood star isn't he, so if you want to see more of him he'll be in a-list films. He's in the next season of The Walking Dead! His comedy 'The Outlaws' is on BBC iPlayer and the latest series is up there now. Get over and have a look and enjoy because it's an excellent piece of work. Russell is out touring all sorts of places and countries over the next year, so have a look at russell-howard.co.uk for details especially if you live somewhere weird like Berlin. Not specifically Berlin. It's only weird to me because I've never been. But it's on the list. Berlin's not weird, that's a bad example. Jupiter would be weird but there aren't any dates programmed in there (watch this space, martians...). BYE BYE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 she is on Heart FM every week. Ashley is a showbiz correspondent on the Heart FM’s breakfast show, and presenter on Heart 00’s every Saturday, 4-7pm. You can also catch he as the host of Netflix’s series ‘Dance Monsters’. Russell is out on tour, doing massive gigs at the end of the 2024 show, and doing smaller gigs working up material for whatever comes next…keep up to date with Russell’s movements (professional movements not bowel movements) at Russell-Howard.co.uk That’s all for this episode of show notes. We should probably leave you on a cliffhanger but that’s not really the style of the…hang on…there’s somebody at the door…oh God. Oh no. Not you…But I thought you were deeeaaaaddddd! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 singing drinking songs 🤪🍻. Adam has been away from live comedy for a while, concentrating on the Last Leg and his new-found responsibilities to Rugby League 🏉 (more about that on this pod). The best way to keep up with everything Adam is doing, which includes oodles of charity work, sport representation as well as gigs and shows - Facebook is his medium. Check out his latest here. Russell is in various countries doing his smash hit tour show. Check out the latest information about where Russell is by going to russell-howard.co.uk TTFN! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Waititi. This episode bounces along with more energy than a demented space-hopper, with a huge amount of laughs and fascinating stories from David’s wonderful brain. You wanna get more David? You can gets you more David for HE IS ON TOUR! His Edinburgh show was brilliant (as always). It’s called Ready Steady David O’Doherty. You could get tickets from Ticketmaster, but those guys are firmly on the naughty step at the moment. Better off - use this link HERE to go to David’s personal website and get linked directly to the theatres. It’ll probably save you some dollar too, but don’t quote me on that because I haven’t checked and it goes way beyond the call of duty for me to check all those theatre prices, cross-check with the Goliaths and then work out the difference all to save you 50p. I mean I like you, but we’ve got to have some boundaries. Russell is packing his moose-repellent spray for his is touring in Canada in mere moments. This September, if you’re Canadian, heck even if you’re not but you happen to be there, check out the dates HERE - in one of the last opportunities to see his latest smash hit tour show live. We shall see you, hear you and smell you next week. So long cowboy/girl/child/baby. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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’s really worth watching the documentary all about Linford’s career and life. It’s called simply ‘Linford’, which is on BBC iPlayer, or if you’re abroad it’s on iPlayer with a VPN (wink wink). It really tells the story well, with fascinating insights and at times it gets pretty emotional. You don’t need me to give you a link to iPlayer. If you can’t find that with a search engine then you deserve to have your internet taken away from you. Russell is back out on the road doing all sorts of bits and bobs, with Canada coming up, also Sweden, Norway…check out his movements at Russell-howard.co.uk That’s all for this week. I’m off for a quick 13 minute nap. That’s the golden number apparently for efficient napping. I’ll let you know how it goes. Goodbye for now, old friend. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices