Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things – Details, episodes & analysis

Is this simultaneously the most uplifting and heart-rending episode we've done to date? 

Matt Forde is Britain's foremost political comedian. Until the end of last year he seemed unstoppable, then from nowhere was diagnosed with a rare condition that saw him having to go through life-saving surgery. 

His story is astonishing and it's told with such verve, such humour and humanity that it's required listening. Make a little bit of time to consume this one properly because it will touch every part of your heart. And make you laugh a lot too. 

Matt is now well on the road to recovery...and on the road! He's touring his show 'End of an Era' around the UK. It summarises the last few years of British politics taking in Truss, Sunak and having a good poke at the current Labour Party as well. I saw it in Edinburgh and it's well worth your time. Proper good stuff. 

Find out where, when, how and why Matt is by going to

🎟️  https://www.mattforde.com/live-shows  🎟️

See you next week for more delicious Wonderbox.

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

Live from the Edinburgh Festival! Irish story-telling powerhouse and ignorer-of-the-basic-format Jason Byrne is with Russell and a packed out audience at the Fringe.

Jason is famous for his sprawling, gregarious, infectious irrepressible comedy and this podcast is no different. Who cares that he ignored the idea of the Wonderbox completely? It was a huge slice of fun.

Stories of rural Irish madness abound. I’d mention specifics here but you wouldn’t believe me. Get it in your ears because it’s a crazy old bunch of stories!

Jason’s at the Fringe (I mean - when is he not?) doing his show, which is called ‘No Show’. It’s on every day at Assembly Main Hall (a lovely room) at 8:40pm until the end of the Fringe. Check it - LINK.

It’s then getting the full tour treatment, Jason will be barrelling into a town near you with this show No Show. All dem tickets, all dem dates, all dem deets, all dem be here.

Ta ta x

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

Does Joel Dommett have beef with Alan Titchmarsh? And how did Davina McCall make Joel cry? The answers are all in this week's Wonderbox! Joel and Russell sit down across a rather fetching table to talk about the things that makes Joel such a happy chap.  It's a lot of fun and covers everything from pig orgasms to bogling. Have a listen. A really splendid way to spend your next fifty-odd minutes. Then come back and read the next bit. 

Hello again! I told you it was fun. You will now be thinking 'but can I listen to even more Joel?' and yes you can. Turn on your telly in the daytime and he'll be there. Also, he and his wife Hannah have a podcast called 'Never Have I Ever' where they get people to write in with ideas of new experiences, then they do them. Sounds bloody dangerous to me. But it's a lot of fun and you can find it in those places where the podcasts dwell. 

Russell's off on tour again, this time to Canada and Scandinavia so if you are one of those hairy types who live in those places, check out www.russellhoward.co.uk for all the details. 

That'll do pig. 

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

How did Emmanuel Sonubi end up doing a shift as a bouncer in full drag? Emmanuel Sonubi brings his majestic legs and superb comedy into the studio and tells Russell about his gender reveal mistake and gives some handy tips on how to perform a slam dunk. 

Emmanuel has just finished his latest tour 'Curriculum Vitae' so you'll have to take our word for it that it was incredibly successful and very good. He's working up his new stuff now for the next outing, so please mosey on over to www.emmanuelstandup.com to find out his latest performing dates. 

Russell's just going through his wardrobe to find his fluffiest undies for he is scheduled to embark to the land of the ice bears. If you are Canadian or Scandinavian then listen up, cos I've got two things for you. Thing one is respect for your incredible way with logs. Thing two is Russell's about to bring his tour to your country so get over to www.russellhoward.com and find out which theatres he's at when, then get out your loonies and grab a ticket! If you're not Canadian or Scandinavian then why are you still here reading this? It's not for you. Go away. I mean it.  Have they gone? I SAID GO AWAY! Some people. See you next week for some more box of the wonder flavour. 

When did Mo Gilligan have a kick about with Rod Stewart and Madonna's son? And what's it got to do with his most precious items? It's all in this week's Wonderbox.  Mo takes Russell on a ride through his life and it's full of fascinating tidbits: How to sell a suit, how to curate a perfect collection of trainers. Also in a wild Antiques Roadshow rip-off moment, Mo finds out live on the podcast if his rare action man figure is worth thousands of pounds...

Mo is currently touring his live show. If you're in Australia or New Zealand, now's your time to catch him.

Mo's UK dates are from September onwards and you can get those tickets now, baby. 

Find out all the find-outs at www.mogilligan.com

Aaaaand Russell's back out on tour soon. He'll be bothering mooses in Canada, then bothering polar bears in Scandinavia (and doing some gigs inbetween).

Check out the dates and get the tickets on them internetses. www.russellhoward.com

For all the rest of you...there it is. The end of the written words. Well done for making it this far, we live in an age of reduced attention spans and to be here now - well you're a goaddam hero. Keep it up, you living legend.

See you next week for what I assure you will be a most wonderful Wonderbox. 

The golfer and comedian John Robins has plonked his behind in the studio this week to wax lyrical about the things that light up his life. 

These things include the Wikipedia page of snooker machine (and human if we're getting technical) Ronnie O'Sullivan, and John's massive bag of ketchup and mayonnaise, without which he never leaves the house. 

It's a podcast for the ages. Like a well-constructed swimming pool it has both deep and shallow ends, but it is better than a swimming pool because there's zero chance of catching a verruca. John has an admirable stab at making golf sound like fun. Russell and John talk over some episodes from when they lived together as fledgling comedians in Bristol, and John talks candidly about his more recent battles with his own brain. It's a real feast, d'y'get me? You know those podcasts that are great to have on a run, or while you're exercising, that kind of thing? This is the quintessential podcast for those moments. 

To increase your JRPM (John Robins per Minute) you can listen to his show on Radio 5 Live, which is also available as a podcast. He's also on the current series of Taskmaster wearing the clothes that are discussed in this very podcast!

You can find all John's podcasts HERE. Try one. Go on.

Hope you enjoy it. There will be more uplifting Wonderbox goodness to squirt into those fit little ears of yours next week. Just you see if there isn't. Until then, keep it real.

Why is Lou Sanders moving to a farm in Portugal? What noise does Lou Sanders make when she snowboards? The answers are all in her Wonderbox, as well as how to have meaningful interactions with a cat. This is one of the most entertaining Wonderboxes to have been filled in a long time. You know who Lou is, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this far; if you’re just here as an intrepid explorer of random blocks of text then we salute you, and would urge you just to listen to the first ten minutes of the podcast – you’ll quickly get the idea and want more Lou. She’s ace.

If you’ve just enjoyed the podcast, give yourself a moment to calm down, then get yourself some more Lou Sanders. Her book ‘What’s That Lady Doing’ comes out in paperback in July and it’s already had many rave reviews… so you should strut down to an independent bookshop and snap it up.

Also as she so deftly mentioned in the podcast she’s off on tour next year with her brand new stand-up show 'No Kissing in the Bingo Hall' and those tickets are available NOW! For information and tickets you must visit https://www.lousanders.com

That is all the words for this hypodermic of Wonderbox. Get back here next week for another hit in the veins. Feels soooooo goooooood.

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

If you find influencers ridiculous, this is the episode for you. TikTok sensation Shabaz Ali spends his time finding their most ridiculous promotions and videos and rips the piss out of them from inside his burrito hoodie.

Shabaz sits down with Russell to talk about the most insane things he’s seen online (a café for gourmet water? Sellotape roll as a luxury bracelet?) and also chats about his day job as a teacher (including that class where they ate the glue sticks).

It’s a fun chat that then develops into a discussion about the creeping harm of this online nonsense. Interesting stuff!

Shabaz is on TikTok and his handle there is @shabazsays. He’s also released his first book all about his adventures in the ridiculous world of the influencer which is called ‘I’m Rich You’re Poor’. It’s in them bookshops right now so get one!

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

It’s only bloody Joe Wilkinson! The Cats Does Countdown people’s favourite is in the studio to chat about his struggles with his high-tech hoover, the beauty of watching online cooking videos and how to embrace middle-age. It’s packed full of wisdom and comedy which is kind of why podcasts exist.

Joe’s acclaimed podcast (with David Earle) is called Chatabix, and it’s a thrice weekly morning dollop of excellent nonsense. Search for it on your podcast app and subscribe hard. Here’s a link to it on Apple Podcasts.

If you prefer to hold something in your hand then get out to a bookshop and get your mitts on Joe’s recently-published autobiography. It’s illustrated by another excellent comedian in Henry Paker, and it’s cover to cover nonsense of the highest calibre. You could also buy it on Amazon, if you can live with that stain on your conscience.

It's published by Penguin – have a look here.

There will be more piping hot Wonderbox for you next week. Byeee!

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music

Podcasting royalty Richard Herring is here! Richard commits his dearest items to the Wonderbox; his stone cairn (with an incredible story about the fine line between art and insanity), his manky old ventriloquist’s doll and his purged bollock.

You want a fascinating account of the last forty years of British comedy? It’s here. You want to hear which celebrity attacked Richard Herring when he was an 18 year old in Edinburgh? You got it. Alongside an incredibly poignant account of what it’s like when your doctor tells you you’re seriously ill. What a ride!

Richard Herring is one of British comedy’s most continually interesting and prolific performers. He is out on tour after a six-year hiatus. This tour is called ‘Can I Have My Ball Back’ and it will run until July 2024 and probably beyond. You can find out the tour dates, book the tickets and catch up with all of Richard’s borderline insane challenges and projects at www.richardherring.com.

OH! Also in case you were wondering, yeah, we’re back next week getting all up in the grill of another Wonderbox.

Producer: Dan Atkinson

Line Producer: Daisy Knight

Exec Producer: James Taylor

Composer: Fat Lady Music