Russell Howard has quit television after 19 years. The 44-year-old comedian explained: “I don’t do TV anymore, I just do stand-up and my podcast.”. The TV star fronted his own BBC series, Good News, which ran from 2009 to 2015 for ten series. He also launched The Russell Howard Hour for Sky in 2017. The programme had six series and also a spin-off filmed from Russell’s home during Covid. The funnyman was also regularly seen on Mock of the Week alongside Dara Ó Briain, although the panel show has since been axed.
But Russell has now made it clear he intends to focus on his two podcasts: Five Brilliant Things, and GoalLess, which is football themed. His final TV appearance was back in August when he was seen on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of Telly. Speaking on the Have A Word podcast, Russell explained: “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.".
In the past, Russell has also had his own Netflix special and an accompanying documentary in which he offered a rare insight into his family life, telling how he let his epileptic brother, Daniel, share his bed for a year after a terrifying fit left his younger sibling fearing he would die in his sleep.
Back in 2021, Russell and his brother opened up about the freak accident that brought on Daniel’s condition. The comedian recalled how his brother slept in his bed night after night, touching his leg with his own as an early warning system if he started to shake.
