Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

May's Moments of the Month 01.06.2026 52хв

Hey there! It's all the best bits from our May shows, all tied up with a fancy bow for your enjoyment! You will find in this pick n mix episode: Satirist and comedian Cody Dahler doing an impeccable Ed Miliband impression. Comedian Jess Fostekew taking us through the glorious triumph that is BEANS. Comedian Josh Pugh standing for the Italian National Anthem despite having no Italian heritage or affiliation. And finally some unmissable stories from comedian Rhys James. It's all in here, if you like one go back and enjoy the whole thing. We're back next Wednesday with another new guest but until then... 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

Rhys James 27.05.2026 58хв

Do you want to show Rhys James a good time? All you need to do is take him to a hotel gym with Harry Styles, under the influence of general anaesthetic. At least…that’s what we have taken away from this fantastically breezy, genial show with the Mock the Week star (well…two of them really). Rhys’s Five Things include being rendered senseless, having that first pint after a sporting endeavour and the enigmatic Harry Styles. As you can tell from the show you just listened to (or are about to consume?) Rhys is an expert comedian, and he’s got a new show on the road from September this year. It’s called ‘Chop Logic’ and you can find out all the dates and buy those tickets by going to https://rhysjames.co.uk. The show will also be at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh for 14 nights if you happen to be there. 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Thank you for stopping by for your annual blurb check-up. Your results are through and we’re pleased to tell you that you’ve come through another year in perfect health. Your stamina, your curiosity and your thirst for banality are unmatched by anyone else who’s had their blurb check this year. Congratulations and here’s to another year of the same. 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

Josh Pugh 20.05.2026 55хв

The brilliant comedian Josh Pugh lays out his favourite things and they are quintesentially British: Greggs! Garden Centres! The…Italian…National…Anthem? Josh brings his trademark authenticity and easy charm to this fabulous hour of chat that celebrates some of the simplest pleasures in life (and the rousing pomp of a certain nation’s patriotic ditty). Josh is a fantastic live comedian with some of the best jokes and ideas out there - and his latest tour ‘Ha Ha Yeah Sound’ is hitting the theatres of the UK from September 2026. You can find out the exact dates and buy tickets by going to Josh’s website: https://joshpughcomic.com 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Thanks for stopping by again, your custom at the bottom of the blurb is very much appreciated. May we spend many long hours in future down here in the bowels of the blurb just quietly enjoying the mossy silence. They don’t know what they are missing. 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

Jess Fostekew 13.05.2026 1год 1хв

Comedian, power-lifter, soccer mom, bean fanatic… Jess Fostekew is all these things and more. In this funny, fun and fascinating episode there’s laughing and learning…Why you should never wear gloves in the gym, why y’all need to be eating more beans, and why hugging, within certain parameters, could be the best thing you can do for your wellbeing… Keep up with Jess by following her on Instagram HERE. There’s also like, one date left for her ‘Iconic Breath’ tour so you can check that out and buy tickets HERE. You never know there may be an extension so click it anyway. 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ That’s all you’re getting for today, blurban explorers. Well done for getting this far into the blurb without triggering any of the alarms, you’ve been very astute and taken just the right amount of risks. You’re welcome to take some photos but remember leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories. 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

Cody Dahler 06.05.2026 56хв

How did Cody go from working for Matt Hancock to being one of the sharpest satirists online? And what has it all got to do with a pub in Cyprus? It’s all in this delightful podcast with comedian and writer Cody Dahler who takes you on a ride through the hills of Cyprus to Spanish Music Festivals and a recommendation of the book that changed Cody’s life (love a good book recommendation!) And while we’re on the subject of book recommendations, one of the hottest upcoming books is The State of This!: A Thicky Thicky Dumb Dumb's Guide to British Politics. It’s Cody’s debut book it explores the most pertinent political head-scratchers affecting us all: Why are people voting for Reform UK?; why did we Brexit?; what is the House of Lords and is everyone in there an arsehole?; why are our rivers full of shit?; what's to stop us becoming like America?; why do our PMs change so often; and why do we use a lettuce to measure their success? You can pre-order it at your local independent bookshop or online HERE. 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ AND THAT’S RECESS FOR THE BLURB. ORDER! 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

April's Moments of the Month 02.05.2026 1год 5хв

Hey there! It's all the best bits from our April shows, wrapped up in a convenient bundle for your pleasure! Gasp at Dara O Briain's secret life as a nightclub dancer. Oooo at Mike Rice's Dairy Farming History Be amazed at Janine Harouni's story of squeaking thighs Pick your jaw off the floor after listening to Sean McLoughlin wax lyrical about Star Trek: The Next Generation And be wowed by Jamie Hutchinson's love of Rolls of Honour. It's all in here, if you like one go back and enjoy the whole thing. We're back next Wednesday with another new guest but until then... 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

Jamie Hutchinson 29.04.2026 57хв

Jamie Hutchinson, the voice of Manchester, the wildly popular comedian is with us and it’s a fantastic romp through the most intense made-up games, the frenzy of horse-racing commentary and the simple pleasure of answering obscure quiz questions with your mates. There’s also a top tip for comedy writing in there towards the end. Genuinely useful… 🎤 Jamie is on tour RIGHT NOW! His latest show has had rave reviews and it’s called ‘Can My Mate Come, He’s Sound’. Quite a few of the dates are sold out but there’s still stuff left for Autumn - anyway have a look, buy tickets and all that at https://jamiehcomedian.com 🎤 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ 🏇🏻 And as the blurb enters the final furlong it’s neck and neck between a good sign-off paragraph and a disappointing sign-off paragraph and it really couldn’t be closer up on the inside comes an offensive sign-off paragraph but a disappointing sign-off paragraph wins it by a nose. 🏇🏻 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

Janine Harouni 22.04.2026 1год 3хв

Blisteringly talented comedian Janine Harouni is in the studio this week picking out the things that make her happy which include nerds, digital clocks… and a great story about how to get her thighs to stop squeaking in front of Robert Pattinson. It’s all in here, so please enjoy at your leisure! Janine’s current tour is called ‘This is What you Waited For’ and we waited a bit too long to promote this one because there’s only a handful of dates left: Birmingham on May 8th and Manchester on May 22nd, but hey - if you’re in those places then get yourself a ticket from https://www.janineharouni.com 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ That’s the end of this week’s feast of comedy. We dab away the jokes from the corners of our mouths with a fancy napkin and we scrape back our chairs to retire to the smoking lounge where we light up fat cigars and talk about grown-up stuff. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Go to https://surfshark.com/russell or use code RUSSELL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean McLoughlin 15.04.2026 57хв

He’s often called the Comic’s Comic, he’s a really excellent stand-up and his Five Things are a fantastically esoteric collection ranging from Moshing to Ice Hockey to Star Trek. Sean hosts his very own late-night talk show, but for free and on YouTube starring one of the funniest comics from the UK and World circuits. It’s called ‘The Sean McTalk Show’ and it’s frankly criminal that you can get this without paying, it’s extremely good indeed - check it out through this link. 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ You’ve been everything you promised to be and more, so keep on doing all those good things. Thanks babe. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Go to https://surfshark.com/russell or use code RUSSELL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Rice 08.04.2026 1год 3хв

The acerbic, charming Irish stand-up is here with his Five Brilliant Things and tales from an extraordinary career, spanning from the milking sheds of Ireland to travelling the world performing to thousands, via regular visits to a shed to hang out with a tiny mystic man. Mike’s touring! We talked about it on the podcast and we weren’t lying. It’s Mike’s most accomplished solo comedy show to date and if you like what you hear you’ll love his live show. Find out those Irish and UK dates by going to https://www.mikericecomedy.com 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ You’ve been impeccable, we’ve been impeccable, let’s never forget this. Thanks for being here and most importantly reading to the end. 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

March's Moments of the Month 04.04.2026 57хв

Hello there! Welcome to March’s Moments of the Month. In case you’re new here, this is a compilation show with a little snifter of each guest we’ve enjoyed this month, so you can get a flavour. Then if you like the taste of any of them you can double-back and listen to the whole episode. It’s a good way to discover someone you would never have thought of clicking on before. First in studio in November was the brilliant Northern Irish stand-up Shane Todd. After that we were visited by another superb stand-up Pierre Novellie, who told us about the big skies of Africa… Ben Shephard, he of Tipping Point and many other shows, was next…and he told us of the glory of bubbles. And finally the South-East London comic Andrew Mensah popped in with tales of playing Padel with Wayne Rooney. So there we go! That’s a little taste of what March was like. All of those shows are available in full right now, so if you got a taste for it, go and get some more. Thanks as always for listening and there will be a new show, as usual, this coming Wednesday. Byeeee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dara O Briain 01.04.2026 1год 2хв

The hugely acclaimed Irish Stand-up and host of Mock the Week gives a fascinating and funny hour of anecdotes. Travel with Dara on debating tours of Ireland, stand in a field with him doing astral photography and hear Dara’s trick for finding his own personal nightclub dance floor. Dara has some date left for his smash show ‘Re:Creation’. It helps if you’re Scandinavian, as many of the dates are in that neck of the woods however there are some England and Ireland dates at the end of 2026 too. You can get those tickets, and do everything you ever wanted to do that’s Dara-adjacent by going to https://daraobriain.com 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Thanks for coming, please respect our neighbours when you leave. 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

Andrew Mensah 25.03.2026 1год 4хв

Comedian Andrew Mensah joins us with tales of playing Padel with Wayne Rooney, the economics of Air Force One Trainers and why there’s nothing better than sitting down for a game of Articulate. There’s also a fascinating insight into the way British society interfaces with its cultural landscape; Andrew’s account of how he managed to move from the gang culture of his childhood to become well-loved fixture on the comedy circuit is the kind of thing you don’t hear often. Andrew is always gigging around the UK. You can keep up to date with everything at https://andrewmensahcomedy.com Andrew hosts his hugely popular weekly comedy podcast ‘We Saw That’ alongside Gbemi Oladipo. They record live shows at the Top Secret Comedy Club in London then that becomes the podcast. You can listen/watch for free, or get tickets to see the live recordings by following this link. 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is well underway with rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ It’s the end of this week’s show so please get out there and enjoy the sunshine. You may be out there already, in which case get your eyes off this phone and look up - but not directly at the sun, obviously - and have a marvellous day. Byeeeeeee. 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

Ben Shephard 18.03.2026 1год 4хв

One of the most popular faces from British TV is here; from This Morning, from Tipping Point and so much more it’s Ben Shephard! What comes through in this ebullient show is Ben’s love for life and thirst for experiences (and thirst for drinks with bubbles in them). Ben takes us on a trip on the back of a motorbike through the London traffic, lifts the lid on how you go about doing a Men’s Health cover-shoot and forces Russell to try on a cardigan. And as we spoke about on the show, Ben (alongside Joel Dommett) are on a journey launching their new skincare brand. You can follow their progress by listening to their podcast ‘The Business Men’. You can take the skincare questionnaire by clicking here. 🎭 Also keep an eye out for Ben’s live show with Kammy - they are touring UK venues doing a few select shows over 2026. Find out more and book tickets by clicking here. 🎭 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is well underway with rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Thanks for your continued ears and eyeballs. They are appreciated very much, please keep them inside your head. 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

Pierre Novellie 11.03.2026 1год 5хв

Pierre is a formidable stand-up comedian and it’s a pleasure to take this wander around the corners of his fascinating brain. This fun and fascinating episode of Five Brilliant Things takes in the majesty of beef, the efficiency of Grahame Greene, the mystery of thunder and finally why you must go out, find a child, and make it watch you read a book. Curious? You should be; all is revealed within Pierre’s episode here. 🎭 Pierre’s out on tour and you should experience him raw (by which I mean live, but raw sounded so much more exciting). Pierre will be touring across the UK and Ireland throughout 2026 with his critically acclaimed show, ‘You Sit There, I’ll Stand Here’ – all dates and tickets available at www.pierrenovellie.com 🎭 🎟️ And of course, Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is well underway with rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ And there we go! The desolate end of the blurb. It’s just you and me now. Like the last two Wildebeest on the savannah, we watch each other warily, both realising simultaneously that although we are in terrible danger having strayed so far from the herd, there is also beauty in the vast silence of the savannah. I close my eyes to fully appreciate this existential moment, and you take advantage and run like hell. I become dinner for a pride of lions. Fair enough. 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

February's Moments of the Month 07.03.2026 45хв

Welcome to our best of February's shows, with a little snippet of each of the four shows we slung into the world across the last month. This show features Charlie Higson talking about the wonders of the Voyager Space Probe... Comedian and podcaster Amy Gledhill eulogising about some of the most Northern sandwiches you could imagine... Comedy legend Harry Enfield on the utility and beauty of the 'umble wig... and Taskmaster's Stevie Martin on why she covets other people's sofas. This is just a taster and all full episodes are available wherever you found this one. Back with a new full episode next Wednesday. Until 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

Shane Todd 04.03.2026 1год 3хв

You want strong opinions about bananas? You’ve come to the right place. Northern Irish powerhouse comedian Shane Todd has flown in to give Russell his Five Brilliant Things, and bananas are right out of the traps. Even the hardest of hearts will be turned by his impassioned defence of the bendy yellow berry. Shane also make the case for simply pottering around, keeping sock drawers in check and he lets himself off the leash when he gets talking about Irish boybands. It’s all here and it’s flying without wings. 🎭 SHANE’S OFF ON TOUR! His latest massive tour is called ‘Hold Me Back’ and it’s going all over the UK, Ireland and the World throughout 2026. Get tickets and see this remarkable young comic at his best - https://www.shanetoddcomedy.com 🎭 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is well underway with rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ And so the blurb endeth. What are you still doing here staring at a screen? The weather has changed! You should be out there frolicking in the buff, shocking bus stops full of unsuspecting people with your magnificent buttocks. Go! 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

Stevie Martin 25.02.2026 1год 1хв

This is a cracking episode with a cracking comedian. The Taskmaster star Stevie Martin speaks with completely unguarded honesty about her favourite things which leads to not one but several introspective spirals! What is it about chonky penne, pyrex jugs and interior design that could lead to a live-on-air existential episode? Get your bobbles in your ears, press play and find out. It’s lots of fun. 🎭 You should go to see Stevie live! Stevie extended has her critically acclaimed and sold-out debut UK tour, Clout, for the second time to 100 dates with more shows added in Autumn 2026. Stevie kicks off her 2026 tour dates with an already sold-out performance at The Glee Birmingham on Tuesday 3rd March, with the tour now running till October. Full dates and tickets: https://steviemartin.com/🎭 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is well underway with rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ And here ends your weekly recommended dose of blurb reading. I know it feels hard-going but you’ll start to see the benefits someday soon. You’ll have a frontal-lobe that’s so large people will start to avoid you in the street and make babies cry. That’s what you wanted, right? RIGHT? 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

Harry Enfield 18.02.2026 56хв

A true icon of British TV Comedy - it’s Harry Enfield! It’s no exaggeration to say that he redefined a whole generation of comedy in this country, with his jokes and catchphrases reaching millions every week. Harry sits down with Russell to explain his brilliant things and also give a candid insight into how they created those iconic characters and sketches - a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the biggest hitting comedy of the last fifty years was formed. 🎭 Harry is off on tour around the UK with his new show ‘Harry Enfield and No Chums’! From the meteoric rise of Loadsamoney, a Thatcherite Visionary, to the fury of Kevin the Teenager, Harry will reflect on 40 years of arsing about in comedy and bring some of his favourite characters vividly back to life on stage. You can find out the dates and get tickets by following this link. 🎭 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is starting its grand journey across the UK: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ There we are! A classic episode for the ages. Dunno if you’re reading this before or after listening, but either way thanks for being one of the weirdos that reads to the end. You know it’s just you and me at this point, right? Only two of us. But at least we have each other. Xxx 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

Amy Gledhill 11.02.2026 1год 4хв

This week we have the winner of the 2024 Edinburgh Best Show! One of Britain’s fastest rising comics is with us; it’s the fabulous Amy Gledhill and this is an absolute banger of an episode. Hull’s most exciting product since the White Phone Box explains why cheap white bread is better than all your fancy Italian nonsense, how working in a dungeon gave her existential dread and why she enjoys spending her free time singing about tapeworms and listening to hairdryers. 🎫 Amy is putting the finishing touches to her brand new tour ‘Thanks for Having Me’. Tickets are about to go on sale, and may well even be there by the time you read this. Check and re-check https://amygledhill.co.uk/live-dates to find out the dates and get the tickets. 🎫 📻 Also get into those podcasts - Amy is on Northern News with Ian Smith, and on Single Ladies in your Area with Harriet - get either of them by searching for them on your podcast app. Both are freely available with many episodes to catch up on. What a treat! 📻 🎟️ YOU WANT MORE LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is starting its grand journey across the UK: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Thanks for being here, thanks for being you, but now it’s time for you to leave. 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