Russell Howard’s Wonderbox

31. Richard Herring

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

30. Laura Smyth

Laura Smyth is a comedian who is going stratospheric, quick. She’s a brilliant performer with a wicked turn of phrase who’s going to be on all the shows and in all the theatres before you know it.
 
Laura comes into the studio to fill her Wonderbox, and gives it both barrels. She talks about telling drunk lies to her kids and about the thrill of being given a secret gift from Stephen Fry.
 
Laura is on tour-a! She’s on her first full tour of the UK, in theatres and arts centres near you. It's called ‘Living My Best Life’ and it’s happening right now. Find out when Laura is near you and grab some tickets by going to laurasmyth.com. 
That’s quite enough Wonderbox for one week. But there’s surely more next week. We’ll see you then. Take is easy, my friend.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

29. Russell Kane

Russell Kane joins Russell in an all-Russell Wonderbox. And it takes in so much; why English people have such trouble dancing with freedom, some serious advice on making home curry taste like takeaway curry and just so many fascinating little pockets of information and chatter in this one. A podcast that just keeps giving.
 
Russell Kane has just set out on his latest tour of the UK (and further afield). It’s called ‘Hyperactive’ and it’s a tour that is going everywhere with dates right up until the end of 2025. You can find out when he’s near you, and book tickets for a very funny night out by going to www.russellkane.co.uk.
 
Please be with us again next week for another Wonderbox, when there will only be a single Russell, which will mean I don’t have to refer to everyone by their full name when I’m writing these bits.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

28. Fatiha El Ghorri

Stand-up comedian Fatiha El Ghorri is in the studio to talk Russell through her Wonderbox offerings, including ramadan, baby fat and birds in the wind. It’s a fascinating chat that covers Moroccan family life, and what it’s like being a female Muslim comedian in the UK. It's a lot of fun; Fatiha doesn't hold back.
 
Fatiha is currently working on her first novel ‘The Perks of my Hijab’ which is coming out in April 2025. It’s a YA book about a 13-year old growing up in the UK wearing her hijab, and it promises to be funny and uplifting. You can pre-order it from many good book websites, not just the big one named after a river.
 
You can check out the pre-release webpage on Simon & Schuster’s website (for they are the publishers) here.
 
Russell will be back with more Wonderbox next week. Until then have a lovely week, don’t rush, take it slow, enjoy yourself.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

27. Seann Walsh

It's Seann Walsh! One of the most naturally talented comics of his generation, Seann tells us about choosing his flat so that he could still get to QPR while hungover. He explains why Blink 182 mean so much to him. And he reveals some of the people who were most helpful after the grisly business of Strictly. 
You want more Seann? You got it. He's touring his solo show 'Back from the Bed' around the UK now - tickets and dates are all at www.seannwalsh.com. Don't fanny about if you want to get those tickets cos they sell quickly.
On Seann's website you can also see some of his older specials for free (they're great) and find his podcasts - 'What's Upset You Now' with Paul McCaffrey (another excellent comedian) and 'Oh My Dog' with Jack Dee.
That should keep you going for Seann-related stuff for the time being. 
 
For Russell's next live dates, keep your eyes on russell-howard.co.uk.
 
Also if you're reading this far I think it's safe to say that you're either a fan of the podcast or you're having a really, really tricky poo. Whichever it is, if you're able to give us a quick good review or spread the word, share the podcast with some people you think would like it - you know, all that stuff really helps and keeps the wheels on the rails. 
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

26. Sean Keaveny

Beloved voice of radio Shaun Keaveny is this week’s Wonderbox guest and he chooses some belters to box up for posterity. Shaun tells some amazing stories; about being backstage with Dave Grohl, about his own band ‘Mosque’, and Russell and Shaun share memories about being the least cool people at BBC Radio 6 Music.
 
Shaun has transitioned from radio to podcast with style. He now makes a radio show as a podcast: Shaun’s Daily Grind is on Global Player which you can find here (and I’m sure you can find it in other places too, right? That’s just how podcasts work innit)
 
For Russell's next live dates, keep your eyes on russell-howard.co.uk.
 
Peace out brethren. Until next week. Be safe, be seen.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

25. Paul Chowdhry

It’s Paul Chowdhry this week. The dead-pan British Asian comedy sensation sits down with Russell and selects some topics to chat about that vaguely might represent items for the Wonderbox if you look at them carefully in the right light. Paul tells a story about getting mugged whilst holding a gearstick, and Russell explains why acting up in school might actually be the best thing to do.
 
Paul is a busy guy with lots going on - his Pudcast is as popular as ever and has just started a new series, and he’ll be touring the UK very soon with a whole new live show. You can keep up to date with all of his exploits at his website right here.
 
For Russell's next live dates, keep your eyes on russell-howard.co.uk.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

24. Jon Richardson

Russell and Jon are reunited from their time years ago hosting BBC Radio 6 Music shows together and as you might expect it’s a great episode. Jon and Russell disagree about the need to rehabilitate a happy old woman, Jon waxes lyrical about a wild-west themed pub. He then praises a man who threatened a crowd with a hand grenade. It’s a lot of fun and very much worth your time.
 
Jon is one of the patrons of The Children’s Hospital Charity, which works bloody hard raising money to provide better care and conditions for the kids at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. As far as causes go it’s about as good as it gets.They're currently trying to raise £2 million to build a new research and technology centre. Click the link up there to find out more and make a small donation. Please do.
 
For Russell's next live dates, keep your eyes on russell-howard.co.uk.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

23. The Buckleys

James and Clair Buckley join Russell to preserve their best memories in the Wonderbox. It’s quite a ride. James explains why a man would need five barbecues. Clair explains why five barbecues is too many for anyone. The highlight is probably a story about saving Sonic the Hedgehog from a drugs gang. Sounds implausible but it’s true. Get in there.
 
James and Clair are prolific online. If you haven’t already come across their stuff then you aren’t on the internet in any way and won’t be reading this. Their podcast ‘In Sickness and in Health’ deals with all things marriage, and you can watch their regular vlogs about their lives on their YouTube Channel .
 
For Russell's next live dates, keep your eyes on russell-howard.co.uk.
 
That’s all. Hope you enjoy the podcast. See you next week!
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music

22. Iain Stirling

One of the most iconic voices of the 21st century is with us - the inimitable Iain Stirling! He takes an hour off his busy Love Island voice-over schedule to fill his Wonderbox. Iain lifts the lid on what it’s like behind the scenes in Spain when Love Island is being filmed, he tells Russell about his surprising past as a lawyer (!?) and reveals who is the most reckless man in kid’s TV.
 
From March, Iain is taking his solo show on tour. It’s called ‘Relevant’ and it’s going everywhere in the UK. It will be great, because Iain is great. You should go. Find out where he is performing and buy tickets at https://www.iaindoesjokes.com/
 
Russell is still in Australia (give us a break guys, it’s a really massive country) making sure that everyone from the city dwelling urban socialites to the dust-covered country farmers get a chance to enjoy this year’s incredible live show.
If you are in Australia and want the best evening out that money can buy, go go go. Get your tickets at russell-howard.co.uk.
 
Producer: Dan Atkinson
Line Producer: Daisy Knight
Exec Producer: James Taylor
Composer: Fat Lady Music