Russell Howard has bid farewell to television after a 19-year stint, opting instead to devote his time to stand-up comedy and podcasting. The seasoned comedian, who's enjoyed success with his shows on BBC and Sky, building significant wealth in the process, made it clear he won't be returning to the small screen anytime soon.
During an appearance on the Have A Word podcast, Howard explained: "I don't do TV anymore, I just do stand-up and my podcast."
He elaborated on his career shift, stating: "I was all over the world and it was just fun. TV is fun but it's not as fun [as stand-up]. Writing a book I couldn't do because I don't want to sit and entertain myself but doing stand-up is what I love doing. It's not entertainment for committee, it's your dictatorship. The audience are like this brilliant jury that let you know through laughter whether it works or not."
Recalling memories on the podcast hosted by comedians Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale, Howard also looked back fondly at his Netflix special and documentary, which offered a rare insight into his personal life, sharing moments such as the poignant tale of spending a year sharing his bed with his epileptic brother Daniel following a major seizure.
In a heartfelt disclosure from 2021, funnyman Howard recounted the traumatic incident that led to his brother Daniel's epilepsy diagnosis. Recalling the distressing circumstances, he remembered how Daniel would insist on sleeping next to him, placing his leg against Russell as a safeguard against potential seizures, reports the Mirror.
Howard, who shot to fame with his BBC series Good News from 2009 to 2015 and later with The Russell Howard Hour on Sky, is stepping back from television to focus entirely on his podcasts: Five Brilliant Things and the football-centric production GoalLess. Despite being a regular fixture on Mock the Week, which has since been axed, Howard's most recent TV appearance was on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of Telly in August.
Over the years, Howard has made appearances on shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie to You?
Howard became a dad for the first time last year after welcoming a son with his wife Cerys Morgan. During an interview in August, Howard revealed his son had been born three months prior and he and Cerys, a geriatric doctor, had relocated to Buckinghamshire from London to embark on a new chapter as a family.
He shared with The Times: "Six months ago my evenings would have been spent getting ready to go out and perform in front of a thousand people, but now evenings find me sitting on the sofa watching TV with my son on my chest. I'm tired a lot. It's funny, when you become a parent everybody compliments you on your baby, but they will freely turn to you and say that you look like s**t, that your face should be on a government watch list or something. So I try to get sleep whenever I can. Right now, I need it."
Howard started dating his wife in 2004 as his career was taking off. They announced their engagement on Alan Carr's Chatty Man on New Year's Eve in 2018, and tied the knot the following year.
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In a recent interview, Howard confessed that being an older dad at 44 has heightened his fear of death. "Having a young son at 44 has made me terrified of dying. I like the idea of being around for ever. I'm really into 'biohacking'," he said to The i Paper.
"I eat two meals a day. I've clearly got a desperately strange relationship with food. It really started during Covid, when I happened upon the podcaster Andrew Huberman. I started trying to do the things he suggested, like the cold showers.
"My dad's mum died when he was young, and now my dad's really into fitness. I think I've inherited his mania with death. I hate the idea of withering. I've seen relatives wither, and it was awful. If I could make it to 90 and be myself until 89 that would be enough for me. I just love the idea of cheating that ageing process.
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