Russell Howard
Hosted by Russell Howard
Comedian Russell Howard interviews guests about five things they love, leading to funny and often tangential personal stories.
A deceptively simple interview show where the listicle format—'Five Brilliant Things'—serves as a prompt for surprisingly deep and meandering conversations. Hosted by comedian Russell Howard and his long-time producer Dan Atkinson, the show uses each 'brilliant thing' as a catalyst for personal stories, comedic riffs, and explorations of the guest's life and creative process. The focus is less on the things themselves and more on the memories and anecdotes they unlock.
“The show's strength lies in its simple, positive premise, which consistently elicits unique and personal stories that might not surface in a standard interview. The established rapport between host Russell Howard and co-host/producer Dan Atkinson creates a relaxed, jovial atmosphere that encourages guests to share freely.”
Who hosts this show
Russell Howard is a popular English stand-up comedian, presenter, and actor. On his podcast, "Five Brilliant Things," he and his producer/co-host Dan Atkinson sit down with guests to discuss five items, people, or concepts that bring them joy, using the simple list as a launchpad for wide-ranging conversations and comedic anecdotes. The show is an extension of Howard's energetic and observational comedic style, applied to a long-form interview format.
Credentials & credits
- Host of "The Russell Howard Hour" on Sky
- Host of "Russell Howard's Good News" on BBC
- Regular panelist on "Mock the Week"
- Studied Economics at the University of the West of England
- Winner, "Best Compère" at the 2006 Chortle Awards
- Nominee, Edinburgh Comedy Award (2006)
Other ventures
- Stand-up comedy world tours
- The Russell Howard Hour (TV series)
- Russell Howard's Good News (TV series)
- Russell Howard & Mum: Globetrotters (TV series)
- GoalLess (podcast)
- Netflix Specials "Lubricant" and "Recalibrate"
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Have you ever seen Teeth? (ft. SNL UK's Al Nash)Jun 24, 2026 · 59s
- 02Al Nash Shares the BTS of SNL UK | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant ThingsJun 24, 2026 · 55 min
- 03Al Nash | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant ThingsJun 24, 2026 · 1 min
- 04
- 05Sindhu Vee's Mum Stories Are WILD! | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant ThingsJun 10, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 06
Notable episodes
- 01Aziz Ansari's Clever Scheme While Writing Netflix Show
Features a memorable story about Aziz Ansari learning to make lasagna in Italy, only to have it destroyed in a bike accident on the way home.
- 02Sindhu Vee's Mum Stories Are WILD!
Sindhu Vee shares a series of wild and hilarious anecdotes about her mother, including the discovery of a gun in a shoebox and her mother's blunt reaction to her stand-up.
- 03Al Nash Shares the BTS of SNL UK
Provides a behind-the-scenes look at sketch comedy writing for a show like SNL UK and includes a funny story about a friend being wrongfully arrested during a Star Wars prequel.
What you'll be asked on this show
The format is a long-form, two-on-one interview, with Russell Howard as the primary host and Dan Atkinson as a participating producer and co-host. While the 'five things' provide a loose structure, the conversations are highly tangential and driven by comedic chemistry. The tone is light, energetic, and consistently humorous.
Questions Russell Howard keeps coming back to
- “What is your first brilliant thing?”
- “What is your next brilliant thing?”
- “Why is that brilliant?”
- “What is your final brilliant thing?”
Signature segments
- · Five Brilliant Things
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily books established comedians, actors, and musicians, many of whom are prominent in the UK entertainment scene. Guests often have a new project or tour to promote, which is mentioned organically within the conversation.
- Al Nashon Al Nash Shares the BTS of SNL UK | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
- Aziz Ansarion Aziz Ansari's Clever Scheme While Writing Netflix Show | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
- Sindhu Veeon Sindhu Vee's Mum Stories Are WILD! | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
- Serge Pizzornoon Serge Pizzorno Changes The Energy Of A Gig With Free Beer! | Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast has a Patreon which offers early access to episodes and an extra show called "Five Brilliant Questions." While direct sponsorships were not noted in the evidence, guests' tours and projects are frequently promoted. [Promotional mention of tickets for Aziz Ansari's show at the Royal Albert Hall.]
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the podcast's format?
- Each week, host Russell Howard and co-host Dan Atkinson interview a guest about five things—items, people, or experiences—that they find brilliant, using each as a starting point for stories and conversation.
- Who is the host?
- The host is Russell Howard, a well-known English stand-up comedian and TV presenter. He is joined by his producer, Dan Atkinson, who also participates as a co-host.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and other major podcast platforms. An associated Patreon offers early access and bonus content.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes weekly, as indicated by recent episode dates in June 2026.
- What kind of guests appear on the show?
- The guests are typically well-known comedians, actors, and musicians like Aziz Ansari, Sindhu Vee, and Serge Pizzorno.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Website - Podcastsrussell-howard.co.uk
- [02]Russell Howard - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]The Russell Howard Hour - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [04]Dan Atkinson - Avalon Managementavalonuk.com
- [05]Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [06]Russell Howard's Five Brilliant Things - Podbeanpodbean.com
- [07]Russell Howard - Avalon Managementavalonuk.com
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