Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

Avalon Television
  • 4.8 (67)
  • COMEDY INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join our Patreon for two shows a week, ad-free listening, early access and much more... Follow this link and get involved! - patreon.com/RussellHoward Each week Russell sits down with fantastic guests to chat about their Brilliant Things; the items, places and people that make life worth living.

  1. Dan Snow

    4D AGO

    Dan Snow

    Fascinating, delightful company. That’s what Historian Dan Snow is. I suppose the skill of any historian worth their salt is to use that historical knowledge and make it relevant today, and this endlessly interesting podcast does exactly that. Dan’s passions go way beyond history, drawing in sailing tall ships, democracy and most importantly of all, his greatest passion beyond all other things: GHERKINS. 📖 Dan’s treatment of history is available to us all through History Hit: A series of podcasts and documentaries about all different periods of history, arranged into clever and neat topics and original angles. You can explore the whole catalogue through that link, or you can search for ‘History Hit’ on your podcast app to find all the many channels they run. This writer listens to them. It’s good stuff.  📖 🎟️ The Good Ship Russell Howard has set sail! 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 🎟️ And here we are. At the end of the history of this particular blurb. We have seen empires (sentences) rise and fall yet we have endured like some kind of literary Roman Empire. But we all know how that ended. 😬 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

    1h 1m
  2. Tom Rosenthal

    JAN 21

    Tom Rosenthal

    Tom Rosenthal is a comedian with a deep interest in all things: His Brilliant Things include The Danish Gambit, The Golden Ratio and Trip Reports. This is a repeatedly fascinating conversation where Tom is completely unguarded and enthusiastic in his descriptions of these corners of humanity. He also conjures, from nowhere, the most outstanding improvised acid trip you’ll ever hear. It’s well worth your time.  We talked about it on the show; Tom’s latest show is out on tour. It’s called ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am’.  You can find out when Tom is near you, and get your hands on those tickets by going to https://tomrosenthal.net Also there are still a handful of tickets left for Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk Well played, you have acquitted yourself throughout reading this blurb with great dignity. It speaks volumes of your character that you’ve made it this far and are still willing to read this guff. Have a special sticker.  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

    1h 2m
  3. Daniel Foxx

    JAN 14

    Daniel Foxx

    Why is it the ruder the waiter, the more it gets Daniel Foxx excited? The laconic comedian is here to explain the beauty of surly service, the simple serenity brought by a scented candle, and you’ll experience some of the worst ASMR in podcast history.  Russell also relates the time Louis Theroux gyrated aggressively at him. That’s worth the admission fee alone.  Daniel’s latest tour ‘How Lovely’ is about to hit UK theatres, so to get yourself a whole evening of this very funny comic please check out where the tour is near you and book tickets - you can find it all HERE. Also there are still a handful of tickets left for Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk And we said in the show we’d link in the show notes to the comedian/chef George Egg’s cookbook, which can be found HERE, and very good it is too. That’s it for today, thanks for popping in, hope you’ve enjoyed the tea and biscuits. Thank you for taking off your shoes at the door and putting on the ceremonial slippers, shin-pads and fez. You looked radiant.  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

    59 min
  4. Bridget Christie

    JAN 7

    Bridget Christie

    Superb comedian Bridget Christie is here. She’s won the Edinburgh Award, she’s been nominated for oodles of comedy prizes, she’s written and performed in two series of her own show ‘The Change’ for Channel 4 and now she sits down with us to reveal her Five Brilliant Things.  It’s as thoughtful and funny as you would imagine from a comic as good as Bridget, including why empathy is disappearing, why we underestimate water and driving a motorbike through London at night. Zoom zoom.  Bridget has written a brand new full length show, and as anyone who’s seen her before can tell you it will be thought-provoking, fascinating and definitely very funny. It’s called ‘Jacket Potato Pizza’ (full explanation on the Patreon show as to why it’s called that). It’s touring the UK across 2026 and you can find out the dates and book tickets by going here.  You can also watch both series of Bridget’s series ‘The Change’ on the Channel 4 player.  There’s a whole second show’s worth of Bridget on our Patreon which also means you get the main show without adverts and everything a day early; Check out our Patreon offering at this link: patreon.com/RussellHoward   Also there are still a handful of tickets left for Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk I think it’s appropriate to say Happy New Year. Whatever you wish for over the next twelve months I hope it comes to you, but in appropriate amounts. If you want custard but end up drowning in a surfeit of custard that would be a tragedy (albeit a deliciously ironic and vanilla-y 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

    1h 2m
  5. December's Moments of the Month

    JAN 3 · BONUS

    December's Moments of the Month

    From our December shows, here's a little taster of each episode so you can get a flavour of the things we got up to with our wonderful guests: Doctor/Writer Adam Kay Taskmaster star and stand-up Ania Magliano Stand-up comedy legend Ross Noble and one of the most fascinating people in Britain, Rory Sutherland. If you hear anything you like, circle back and enjoy the whole episode - they are all there waiting for you to listen. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 15m
  6. Rory Sutherland

    12/31/2025

    Rory Sutherland

    Marketing expert and thinker-outside-the-box, Rory Sutherland is here with his Five Brilliant Things and they all begin with the letter C: Consumerism, Contradictions, Cars, Commuter Towns, Cornbread and the Commonwealth.  You’ll notice that’s more than five things, which typifies this episode. The ideas and conversation flowing out of Rory and Russell was abundant and it’s one of the most densely packed interesting shows we’ve made in ages.  If you are sparked off by the way Rory thinks then you can get a real schooling in unconventional thinking by enrolling on Rory’s Masters Course. It’s a distance learning course with Rory himself that teaches you new ways to approach problems and think in a creative and unexpected fashion. Follow this link to find out more and enrol.  Also there are still a handful of tickets left for Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.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

    1h 9m
  7. Russell's Best Bits of 2025

    12/24/2025

    Russell's Best Bits of 2025

    Happy Christmas! This week Russell looks back over all of the shows from 2025 and picks his favourite moments from 52 x 5 Brilliant Things (So…quick bit of maths…that’s…260 Brilliant Things). We’ll be back in a week with a brand new show and loads of super-exciting guests in the new year.  On our Patreon show something a bit special this week - Russell and Dan sit down and talk about how they made the TV show Good News. For anyone who enjoyed that show, it’s a real treat and an insight into what went on behind the scenes… ⁠patreon.com/RussellHoward⁠   Also there are still a handful of tickets left for Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk Thank you for listening, you lovely lot. 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

    54 min
  8. Ross Noble

    12/17/2025

    Ross Noble

    One of Britain’s most mercurial and naturally talented stand-ups of all time, Ross Noble sits down with Russell to explain how he went from a school drop-out with a couple of circus skills to one of the greatest stand-ups Britain’s ever produced. He also goes into detail about Cuttlefish.  Ross is in the middle of his latest live tour, called ‘Cranium of Curiosities’. It’s a full show of brand-new stand-up and it is going to all those UK theatres, then to Australia with dates all through 2026. Find out the specifics and book your tickets by going to https://www.rossnoble.com/#/shows And Russell has just released a whole load of extra dates for his brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’. There are shows across the whole UK in 2026: You can book tickets at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk And if you’re a fan of the show you can experience every element of it, and be rid of adverts forever by joining our perfectly formed Patreon Crew. You will get an extra show every week, get it all early and we’ve got a very special surprise planned for Xmas for fans of Russell and Good News… patreon.com/RussellHoward   That is all of the everything for this week, thanks for tuning in and we look forward to spending more time with you next week. Nearly Xmas now!!! 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

    1h 13m
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4.8
out of 5
67 Ratings

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Join our Patreon for two shows a week, ad-free listening, early access and much more... Follow this link and get involved! - patreon.com/RussellHoward Each week Russell sits down with fantastic guests to chat about their Brilliant Things; the items, places and people that make life worth living.

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