Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

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.ukTTFN!Producer: Dan AtkinsonLine Producer: Daisy KnightExec Producer: James TaylorComposer: 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 AtkinsonLine Producer: Daisy KnightExec Producer: James TaylorComposer: 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 AtkinsonLine Producer: Daisy KnightExec Producer: James TaylorComposer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is this simultaneously the most uplifting and heart-rending episode we've done to date?    Matt Forde is Britain's foremost political comedian. Until the end of last year he seemed unstoppable, then from nowhere was diagnosed with a rare condition that saw him having to go through life-saving surgery.    His story is astonishing and it's told with such verve, such humour and humanity that it's required listening. Make a little bit of time to consume this one properly because it will touch every part of your heart. And make you laugh a lot too.    Matt is now well on the road to recovery...and on the road! He's touring his show 'End of an Era' around the UK. It summarises the last few years of British politics taking in Truss, Sunak and having a good poke at the current Labour Party as well. I saw it in Edinburgh and it's well worth your time. Proper good stuff.  Find out where, when, how and why Matt is by going to 🎟️  https://www.mattforde.com/live-shows  🎟️   See you next week for more delicious Wonderbox.         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

Live from the Edinburgh Festival! Irish story-telling powerhouse and ignorer-of-the-basic-format Jason Byrne is with Russell and a packed out audience at the Fringe.   Jason is famous for his sprawling, gregarious, infectious irrepressible comedy and this podcast is no different. Who cares that he ignored the idea of the Wonderbox completely? It was a huge slice of fun.   Stories of rural Irish madness abound. I’d mention specifics here but you wouldn’t believe me. Get it in your ears because it’s a crazy old bunch of stories!   Jason’s at the Fringe (I mean - when is he not?) doing his show, which is called ‘No Show’. It’s on every day at Assembly Main Hall (a lovely room) at 8:40pm until the end of the Fringe. Check it - LINK.   It’s then getting the full tour treatment, Jason will be barrelling into a town near you with this show No Show. All dem tickets, all dem dates, all dem deets, all dem be here.   Ta ta 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

Live from the Edinburgh Festival! Recorded in front of a beautiful audience at the Fringe, Russell goes through the Wonderbox of the exquisite Scottish stand-up, Larry Dean! This podcast goes from the serenity of the hills of Bhutan, to tender intergenerational moments of true connection, to a terrifying home-made nightmare of a sex doll.  If you’re a regular listener, you’ll notice that the live audience really adds a bit of spice to the occasion, and despite our afternoon time-slot, the show really goes the extra mile. It’s a bit filthier, a bit funnier. Get in there. Larry continues to perform his show Dodger until the end of the Fringe. It’s on every day at Monkey Barrel at 8:30pm and one can acquire tickets here.   For those of you who refuse to be blackmailed by Edinburgh tenancy companies and wait for the best shows to come to you, well you’re in luck. Larry will be touring the show around the UK in the months after August. Visit larrydeancomedy.com for all the information and to get yo tickets.   In other news…   Canucks and Scandos, get ready for some Russell stand-up shows flying at you like a rocket (a rocket full of mad good comedy show). Find out what the hell I’m talking about HERE. But only click if you’re in Canada or Scandinavia. The link is rigged to blow your phone up in your hand if you’re not geolocated in one of those spots. I might be bluffing. But do you really want to take that risk?   Enough blither. Until next time, padawan.   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

What’s the link between Tom Grennan and Peter Andre? It’s all in this fantastic episode of Wonderbox with British musical superstar, Tom Grennan.   Tom talks about early life, how he made it, his surprising background in physical theatre (!) and what it’s like to play Glastonbury in front of thousands.   It’s an amazing insight into the life of someone living his music superstar dream.   And you know what’s the perfect chaser to this podcast? Go to see Tom this Saturday! Tom’s playing a massive outdoor gig alongside Blossoms (and others) at Gunnersbury Park in North London on Saturday August 10th. Tickets can be acquired from Ticketmaster HERE.   Russell’s out on tour again soon doing those Canadian and Scandinavian dates, so if you live in those exceptionally beautiful places then get all your information and buy your tickets from russellhoward.co.uk   Barring some kind of unimaginable freak act of God like a lightening strike, we’ll be back next week with more wonderful Wonderbox.   Don’t forget to brush for the full two minutes.   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 world’s most exciting clown opens his Wonderbox, sort-of. Either you know who Zach Zucker is and you love his work, or you’re going to soon; he is one hell of a comedian. It’s worth mentioning that his healthy distain for rules makes him an insanely good comic but also makes him not exactly follow the rules of a podcast.   So while most people turn up with an idea of the podcast, Zach brings some incredible stories about faking a broken leg at school, about trying to date someone while tripping and vomiting… I mean it’s sensational stuff.   Zach is hosting his insane late-night spectacular Stamptown at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, at the Pleasance on 3rd, 15-17, 22-24. Go to EdFringe.com to get those tickets. Strong recommend.   Russell’s off to Canada and Scandinavia soon with his touring show. You need to click some russellhoward.co.uk for mad deeds.   See you on the flip, you damn dirty ape.   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 Rosie Jones have a wardrobe full of Nazi clothes? She wasn’t aware of it until she sat down for this podcast and opened her Wonderbox.   This absolute rip-snorter of an episode has got absolutely everything you would want and expect from the ebullient Rosie - waxing lyrical about Scotch Eggs, a slightly controversial side-track into the Third Reich and the most eloquent, beautiful explanation of disability rights history that you’ll hear in a long time.   Rosie has been touring her show for time, innit, so any mad fans will have already been at least twice. But for those of you who were unlucky enough to miss out on tickets, you’ve got a couple more opportunities and then that really will be it. Rosie will be performing her show Triple Threat at the Pleasance Grand in Edinburgh during the Fringe. 14th and 15th August only, 9:20pm. Tickets and information can all be found at www.edfringe.com.   Rosie’s children’s book ‘Moving on Up’, about growing up with confidence is out now in paperback, so next time you’re in your local independent bookshop you should pick up a copy. Very good stuff.   We're doing Wonderbox LIVE at the Edinburgh Festival! Three special shows with three special guests, on 1,2 and 4 August. Come and see us record an episode in the flesh! Tickets and details HERE.   Russell is touring Canada and Scandinavia, and should you be there, and hankering to see this stunning show, then get the dates, times and tickets HERE.    What a lot of information. And you only came here to while away a few more moments before getting on with that thing you’ve got to do. Well bad news - time’s up. You need to do that thing now. Stop putting it off. Swallow that frog. Get it done. Then reward yourself with a historic Wonderbox episode you’ve not got around to yet.   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

It's Abi Clarke, comedian, Tik Tok sensation and viral bobbing-in-the-garden-with-parents superstar. Abi discusses her love of a plastercast of the female down-belows, her failed attempts to win back a man with Cherry Bakewells and Russell contemplates becoming a cheerleader.   Abi is taking her solo show (Role) Model to the Edinburgh Fringe this August and you must cancel your existing plans, get up there and get in that show. Book your tickets, get the times, find out everything you need to know and do it HERE. We're doing Wonderbox LIVE at the Edinburgh Festival! Three special shows with three special guests, on 1,2 and 4 August. Come and see us record an episode in the flesh! Tickets and details HERE. Russell is touring Canada and Scandinavia, and should you be there, and hankering to see this stunning show, then get the dates, times and tickets HERE.  See y'next week!  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