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Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

Avalon Television

Each week Russell sits down with fantastic guests to chat about their Brilliant Things; the items, places and people that make life worth living.

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29 episodes
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Avg 59 min
English

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Yesterday · 49 min
Natasha Bedingfield
The pop megastar is in the studio and her brilliant things are as wholesome as you might hope; a swim through the importance of connecting with nature, the vitality of comedy and there’s a fascinating chat about the creative process. Oh! And chocolate. Natasha’s new single ‘Dot Dot Dot’ is out now and it’s an absolute banger; the kind of upbeat, optimistic pop that has earned Natasha a place among the greats. You can hear it, buy it and find so much more music at natashabedingfield.com You can also follow Natasha on Insta where she’s @natashabedingfield. Enjoy these final late summer days, listen to some music, walk your dog unless you don’t have a dog in which case steal a dog and walk that dog. Bye! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 16 · 59 min
Alasdair Beckett-King
ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING A tremendous comedian with a distinct voice (and hair) and a talent for making some of the best videos to ever grace the internet - it’s the unstoppable ABK! A man like Alasdair, with an interest in life’s niches, was always going to produce a good episode of Five Brilliant Things, but who knew it would be this good? We career from things you definitely can touch (rocks) to things you definitely can’t (strippers - only joking - ghosts actually) and it’s just the kind of focussed, funny bimbling that was the reason podcasts were invented. And until late November, ABK is touring his latest full-length show ‘King of Crumbs’. It’s great, you should most certainly go if he’s in your area, and to find out if he will be in your area at a time that works for you, go to abeckettking.com where all the tour dates and booking links may be found. Also you can check out his utterly incredible online videos too. There we go. Another week’s listening pleasure parcelled up and delivered into your ear. X Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 9 · 1 hr
Mark Simmons
Mark Simmons, one of the sharpest joke writers in the country (maybe the world? Maybe the universe?) is here and his five brilliant things give an insight into the man behind the gags. From Taekwondo tournaments to Wrestling and the thrills of Mr Miyagi, you can see that his discipline in joke-writing comes from a deep love of Eastern sports and arts. And…um…wrestling? Mark is about to start the Autumn leg of his ‘Jest to Impress’ tour, and basically you won’t get more jokes per pound spent at any other show. He’s a terrific comedian and you should go. You can get tickets and find all the dates at https://marksimmons.co.uk Do you want to watch his last special ‘Quip off the Mark’? It’s on the website. Free. You want to listen to his podcast ‘Jokes’? It’s on the website. ALSO FREE! Lucky ducks. So much Mark Simmons so little time. I’m off to watch a load of Mark Simmons. There’s so much there I’ll barely have finished by next week. Taraaaaa! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 2 · 56 min
Brian Conley
Brian Conley has been one of the biggest names in UK comedy and theatre for the past generation. From being the biggest comedian on TV to the most in-demand stage performer, he’s done it all. Come in and listen to a fascinating chat between Russell and Brian, two comics who sit, and have sat, at the top of their game at different periods in history. As we spoke about on the show, Brian has just competed in Celebrity Hunted on Channel 4, and you can watch the whole series, including his victorious final show on the Channel 4 player right now! Link is here or you can just search for it when you get back to your big telly. The Prat Pack also have some September shows which are selling fast - find out more about that by going here. And this is where we part company. I’ll see you in next week’s blurb no doubt. We MUST stop meeting like this. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 1 · 53 min
August's Moments of the Month
Hello there! Welcome to August’s Moments of the Month. In case you’re new here, this is a compilation show with a little flavour of each guest we’ve enjoyed this month, but not the whole show. Then if you like the taste of any of them you can double-back and listen to the whole episode. It’s a good way to discover someone you would never have thought of clicking on before. First up we’ve got the comedian, actor and star of SNL UK, Scarborough’s finest… Paddy Young. Then we had Dan Tiernan just getting ready for Edinburgh, using the power of crystals… Following that was a special episode with Russell’s close friend, the US film director Joe Maggio who waxed lyrical about the greatest film of all time - La Dole Vita And lastly it was the firebrand honesty of Alfie Brown, who wears his personal history on his sleeve for our entertainment! So there we go! That’s a little taste of what August was like. All of those shows are available in full right now, so if you got a taste for it, go and get some more. Thanks as always for listening and there will be a new show, as usual, this coming Wednesday. Byeeee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Alfie Brown
One of the most interesting, honest and self-eviscerating comics around at the moment, Alfie Brown brings his happy things to the studio including the city of Liverpool, Love Songs, his own wife and the levelling, life-saving properties of cannabis. Alfie has been in Edinburgh but if you haven’t been there yet you ain’t going now, but luckily for you his latest hit show ‘The Entertainer’ is touring the UK. You can find out all the dates and book tickets in a couple of quick clicks by going to alfiebrowntour.com. You can also follow Alfie on Instagram where he’s @alfiebrowncomedian and you can search for his and Jessie’s podcast (which has terrific metrics if you read the data) - just look for ‘Before we Break Up Again’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Well done for reading the blurb, which is the modern equivalent of DVD extras, in that a huge amount of love and energy goes into them but really we’re only slaving away for a very select bunch of nerds like you. Nerd. Yeah you heard me (but totally thanks for making this worthwhile). Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 19 · 1 hr 3 min
Joe Maggio
Today, the first guest Russell nearly killed. American director Joe Maggio is here, miraculously, after nearly losing his life on Russell’s stag-do some years ago. He’s written a show about the near-fatal mistake of trying to keep up with a feral UK stag-do and it’s at the Edinburgh Festival right now. The brush with death has led to a deeper, more profound love of life for Joe, so his Five Brilliant Things are unusually rich; told with a story-telling flair that betrays his many years creating, teaching and loving films.In many regards this episode shows Five Brilliant Things at its best: a person you may not have heard of but with beautiful takes on slices of life of which you weren’t even previously aware. Edinburgh every day at The Mash House, tickets from edfringe.com. Also follow Joe on Instagram where he's 'thejoemaggio'. That will do I think. Thanks for your attention and please be cautious when playing five-a-side with a bunch of feral louts. x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 12 · 57 min
Dan Tiernan
Award-winning stand-up comic Dan Tiernan is here! If you thought you’d heard about torturous writing process before, just wait until you hear Dan’s extraordinary stories. He’s been to some tricky places and come back. He’s also a strong poker player and tells another cracker about winning BIG in a tournament in slightly awkward circumstances. All good things! Dan’s out there right now with his new show ‘Quartz and All’ and it’s about the crystal madness he talks about in this podcast. If that’s anything to go by it will be a very very entertaining hour of bonkers and heart-felt comedy. It’s in Edinburgh now, and then after August out on tour across the UK and Ireland. You can get tickets for that, check dates, and watch Dan’s previous special by going HERE. That’s all for today’s crystal-bathing session, hope your aura is all shiny and new. Thanks for checking in and double thanks for reading to the end of the blurb. I often feel this bit of writing will be read by nobody, but here you are, validating me. I FEEL SEEN. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 5 · 55 min
Paddy Young
Utterly charming, utterly chaotic and singing the praises of cold flannels. The SNL UK star Paddy Young is here, and is the first guest to arrive to the recording with a bottle of milk in hand. Why? It’s all in this delightful hour of chat that includes banned Scrabble words and why you should walk out of more plays and films. Paddy’s new live show is called ‘Will Sir be Laughing Alone?’ And it’s at the Edinburgh Festival right now. His Fringe show is at 9pm at Monkey Barrel but that’s all sold out. Check out his extra shows in Edinburgh HERE at 2.25pm on 10-12 Aug And his BIG show that we talked about in the podcast is on 14th Aug at Pleasance at 11.15pm. After that the show will be out on tour. The tour dates are HERE. And you can catch Paddy doing weekend update with Ania on SNL UK this Autumn. Sayonara dickwads. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 1 · 52 min
July's Moments of the Month
It's July's Moments of the Month: no new shows, just a smattering of the best bits of all the shows from the past month. Try some, and if you like it, go back and listen to the whole episode! First up in July it was the Eastenders star turned super-podcaster, Natalie Cassidy. Then it was the comic actor extraordinaire, Peter Serafinowicz. Following Peter was one of the bright lights of comedy, SNL writer Bella Hull. Then we had the choreographer turned comedian Christopher Hall. And we finished off with the mod-comedian turned cosy-crime sensation, Ian Moore. So there we go! That’s a little taste of what July was like. All of those shows are available in full right now, so if you got a taste for it, go and get some more. Thanks as always for listening and there will be a new show, as usual, this coming Wednesday. Cheerio. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 29 · 1 hr 4 min
Ian Moore
Death and Croissants author and comedian Ian Moore is in the studio! The best-selling author of France-based cosy crime novels, Ian has never lost that razor-sharp comedian instinct and gives a belting show that takes in the unbridled pleasure of judging others on how they dress, the simple beauty of a cheese sandwich and the arcane insanity of French bureaucracy. Hard recommend. Right. Go and listen to the show. Then you’ll see why Ian’s got such an engaging brain and why you should, if you already haven’t, acquire and read his brilliant books. His latest ‘cosy crime’ is called Death and Deja Vu, and his more serious procedural is called ‘A Very French Corpse’. You can get the audiobook of ‘Death and Deja Vu’ by going HERE. You can enjoy the audiobook of ‘A Very French Corpse’ by going HERE. But basically you can get the whole selection in any good independent bookshop. Bon. C’est le fin. Merci beaucoup pour votre attention. Alors…oui. A bientôt mes amis. A demain. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 22 · 1 hr 1 min
Christopher Hall
He’s danced for Kylie and Shania, he’s a viral sensation, a comedian and a born showman; Christopher Hall is in the studio. Christopher explains why there’s nothing more liberating than pottering around the shops, enjoying punny names for businesses and the nostalgic taste of a home-made Middlesborough chip. Christopher has created a brand-new stand-up show! It’s called Pizazz and it will be on at the Edinburgh Fringe this August and then out on tour, starting in Margate on 30th September and finishing in London on 18th November. Tickets are on general release and you can get them HERE. Get the Edinburgh Fringe tickets by going to edfringe.com. And there we go. I’ve given you all the information you need. I straighten my tie, reach into my pocket and pull out some mysterious looking dust. I throw it at the floor and there is a flash, a poof of smoke and I’m gone. You look around wondering what this magic is, and see me hiding behind the door. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 15 · 58 min
Bella Hull
Horror gig stories are always fun; Comedian and SNL UK writer Bella Hull serves up some of the best in the business. If art is suffering then Bella is Leonardo da Vinci. Bella is one of the most exciting newer voices on the UK comedy circuit and even a brief listen to this episode demonstrates why: her strong feelings about duvets, pies and the sensation of going downhill are told with panache and genuine enthusiasm. Bella has created, just for you, a new show and it will be on at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival! It’s called Mad Cow Disease, it’s on at 12:30pm at Monkey Barrel and it’s going to be a hot ticket so booking in advance is advisable. You can get tickets by clicking here. If you can bear it, then we will be apart for a few days but as always we shall return next week. How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 8 · 1 hr 5 min
Peter Serafinowicz
Comedian and Actor Peter Serafinowicz takes an hour out of his hectic filming schedule to sit down and explain why we should listen to the Oh-Sees, why the Bionic Commando soundtrack was so groundbreaking and he gives us the most iconic death noise in video-game history. If you want to see Peter, get onto Netflix and watch Million Dollar Secret which he hosts. If you want to be Peter, then get Elden Ring and you can experience (as recreated on the podcast) his effort noises. Also watch out for him in the upcoming Elden Ring film! Exciting stuff. This blurb was produced with a huge number of effort noises that it’s extremely fortunate you didn’t hear because it sounded like someone struggling with a particularly stubborn turd. Bye bye you weird blurb reading person. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 7 · 47 min
June's Moments of the Month
Hello there! Welcome to June's Moments of the Month. In case you’re new here, this is a compilation show with a little snippet of each guest we’ve enjoyed this month, so you can get a flavour. Then if you like the taste of any of them you can double-back and listen to the whole episode. It’s a good way to discover someone you would never have thought of clicking on before. First in studio in June was the lead singer and creative force behind Kasabian... Serge Pizzorno After that we were visited by the superb stand-up Sindhu Vee with incredible stories about her formidable mother. Stand-up and acting icon Aziz Ansari was over from America so he popped in to see us next... And finally the SNL break-out star and internet comedy titan Al Nash was in with some very traditional British cosiness. And teeth. So there we go! That’s a little taste of what June was like. All of those shows are available in full right now, so if you got a taste for it, go and get some more. Thanks as always for listening and there will be a new show, as usual, this coming Wednesday. Byeeee! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 1 · 1 hr 2 min
Natalie Cassidy
A lovely chat with a lovely guest: Natalie talks about her time behind the scenes on Eastenders (and her prodigious ability to nap on command), her more recent time spent working with the care system and sharing memes that people have made out of her own face! There’s loads to enjoy, please dive in and have a great time. We talked about it on the show - Nat has her podcast ‘Life with Nat’ alongside her closest friends and family, so if you want to hang out with Nat more long-term, you absolutely can. Visit https://lifewithnatpod.komi.io/ and get involved. This blurb has been passed by the official blurb approval committee with a safety rating of B minus. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 23 · 58 min
Al Nash
AL NASH From SNL UK and your favourite online viral sketches, it’s comic and actor Al Nash! Al popped in to chat to Russell about why there’s nothing quite as enjoyable as a School Fair, the simple delight of the ‘umble crumpet and and extraordinary story about the time his flat was raided by the police. Yeah! You did’t see that one coming did you? The chat also goes into fascinating detail of how they made that first season of SNL UK and what it’s like to forge a career as an online sketch comedian. You can watch Al’s online stuff at https://www.alnashcomedy.co.uk (and you should: they are really fast silly sketches that properly nail the online culture at the moment). He will also feature in season two of SNL UK which will be on Sky this autumn, but you’ll see it in chunks on your online feed because nobody subscribes to Sky for the comedy. The football pays for everything else innit. Thank you for your enduring love. It’s requited in a slightly creepy way. See you next week, space ranger! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 17 · 1 hr 3 min
Aziz Ansari
He’s only one of the biggest comics in the whole of the US! You know him from Parks and Rec, his own brilliant Netflix show Master of None and most recently from his incredible turn on SNL as Kash Patel. He’s here in the studio with his Five Brilliant Things which show a real meticulous, thoughtful side to him: whether it’s Martinis, Espressos or the feeling of real pen on paper, Aziz is here for the tactile experiences. It’s a funny and warm show that you will definitely enjoy. 🎟️ We talked about it in the pod - Aziz is coming to the Royal Albert Hall! He’s bringing his latest show Hypothetical for one very special night. It’s on Saturday 11th July and you can get your tickets by going to https://www.azizansari.com and following the links 🎟️ Pleasure to have you here! Until next time amigo x Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 10 · 1 hr 3 min
Sindhu Vee
Comedian and Actor Sindhu Vee is in the studio and she’s brought stories galore! Her Five Things serve as catalysts to some of the funniest and most excellent stories we’ve had on the show in some time. From ‘the ability to cry on demand’ to Free Bibles and Fake Hotdogs, this is a tremendous show. Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making it. You should go to see Sindhu live, and you can! Sindhu is out on tour with her smash hit show ’SWANKY’. 🎟️ There are a handful of European dates in the coming few days, then from September Sindhu is taking the show to theatres up and down the UK, with dates all the way through to April 2027. Many dates have already sold out so if you’re planning to buy then get on it! Check out https://sindhuvee.com/live/ for dates and tickets. 🎟️ Thanks for your presence here, you are always welcome. Even down here at the bottom of the blurb. There’s only the credits to go now. You’re like the last person in the cinema. There’s an usher waiting to clear up the popcorn. Better go now. Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Why are you still here!? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 3 · 1 hr 3 min
Serge Pizzorno
Serge from Kasabian and Russell sit down and discuss the creative process, what it means to be an artist in the digital age, how to age gracefully and how to make the perfect egg. There’s something utterly engaging about listening to artists from the top of different fields discussing the similarities and differences between the ways they work and this show is no exception. Get involved, get inspired and maybe discover some songwriting and comedy writing secrets. And as we said in the show, Kasabian are playing a massive gig this summer at Finsbury Park in London. It’s on July 4th, it’s going to be a packed line-up and it’s going to be unmissable. Tickets from Ticketmaster through this link. And Kasabian’s new Album ‘Act III’ is coming out on July 17th - you can pre-order copies of that at https://www.kasabian.co.uk 🎟️ And please do go to see Russell while he’s on tour with his latest show that’s busting out some rave reviews: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ Lovely! That’s it! Tidy job. Thanks. Bye! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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