Russell Howard's health admission and death fears as he steps away from TV after 19 years

Russell Howard opened up about his health regime following the announcement that he has quit television after 19 years, to focus on his comedy and podcasts

Russell Howard has revealed he is trying to "cheat" the ageing process, driven by a deep-rooted fear of death. The 44-year-old comedian believes he "inherited" the worries from his father, who tragically lost his own mother at a young age.

Discussing the influence of his family history, Russell explained: "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."

His approach to outsmarting time is rooted in an enthusiasm for biohacking - which employs a mix of biology, technology and lifestyle tweaks to improve one's body and brain function. Russell says he also a fan of cold showers, believed to have many health benefits such as boosting metabolism and helping with blood flow.

Fatherhood has intensified these concerns for Russell, 44, who welcomed his first child in May with his wife Cerys. He told The Independent: "I just love the idea of cheating that ageing process. I'm really into biohacking."

Another part of his strategy is "a desperately strange relationship with food", which includes eating just two meals a day.

As well as his health admission, Russell recently shared that he has stepped back from television appearances, and will now just focus on his stand-up and podcasts.

The comedian's last television appearance was on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of Telly back in August. Speaking on the Have A Word podcast, he revealed: "I don't do TV anymore, I just do stand-up and my podcast.

"I had a pretty good run, I just prefer doing stand-up. 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."

Russell's television career has included his BBC show Good News, which ran from 2009 to 2014 for ten series.

He later move this show to Sky One in 2017, with the new name The Russell Howard Hour. It aired for six seasons and had a spin-off show, however has not returned to screens since 2022.