Russell Howard reveals he is QUITTING tv after 19 years – regardless of amassing an enormous fortune via his BBC and Sky exhibits
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Russell Howard has revealed he’s quit TV after an illustrious 19-year career.
The comedian, 44, first debuted on screens as a regular on BBC panel series Mock The Week, and went on to host shows on both BBC and Sky.
Speaking on the Have A Word Podcast, Russell shared that in recent years he’s preferred to focus on stand-up tours, as well as his podcasts Five Brilliant Things and GoalLess.
Speaking about his decision to walk away from TV, Russell said: ‘I don’t do TV any more, I just do stand-up and my podcast.
‘I had a pretty good run, I just prefer doing stand-up. I was all over the world and it was just fun.’
Russell added that there’s ‘nothing else he would rather do’ than write his own comedy set before touring across the country.
Russell Howard has revealed he’s quit TV after an illustrious 19-year career to focus on his stand-up shows and podcasts
The comedian first debuted on screens as a regular on BBC panel series Mock The Week, and went on to host shows on both BBC and Sky (pictured on The Russell Howard Hour)
‘TV is fun but it’s not as fun. 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,’ the comic continued.
‘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.’
He previously presented his Russell Howard’s Good News series for the BBC, which ran for ten series between 2009 and 2015.
He then went on to launch The Russell Howard Hour for Sky TV in 2017, which ran for six series, as well as a Covid-themed spin-off which he filmed at his house.
In August, Russell revealed he’d become a dad for the first time after welcoming a son with his wife Cerys Morgan three months earlier.
Cerys, who wed Russell in June 2019, is a geriatric doctor and the pair have now moved from London to Buckinghamshire to start their new family life.
He told The Times: ‘Six months ago my evenings would have been spent getting ready to go out and perform in front of a thousand people, but now evenings find me sitting on the sofa watching TV with my son on my chest.
‘I’m tired a lot. It’s funny, when you become a parent everybody compliments you on your baby, but they will freely turn to you and say that you look like s**t, that your face should be on a government watch list or something.
Speaking on the Have A Word Podcast, Russell shared that in recent years he’s preferred to focus on stand-up tours, as well as his podcasts Five Brilliant Things and GoalLess
In August, Russell revealed he’d become a dad for the first time after welcoming a son with his wife Cerys Morgan (pictured) three months earlier
‘So I try to get sleep whenever I can. Right now, I need it.’
Cerys started dating Russell in 2004, when he was 24 and she was 20. Their engagement was later announced on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man on New Year’s Eve in 2018.
During the pandemic Cerys revealed she’d stopped her six-month career break to return to the NHS frontline and help tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
She had planned a half year of travelling, but wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in 2020: ‘Three weeks and two days and the career-break dream is definitely over.
‘Today I am returning to support the NHS family.
‘Happy playlist on. Wish me luck!!!’
Cerys worked at West Middlesex University Hospital in Hounslow, London, at the time.
In August 2020 Russell made headlines when he left an audience stunned by storming out of a gig because someone in the crowd was filming him with her phone.
The comedian noticed the woman filming him, while he was performing new material, about five minutes into the set on the outdoor terrace of the Bambalan bar in Bristol.
He told the woman it was the worst thing she could do and said she should ‘live in the moment’.
The performer then took out his phone and mimicked filming her, asking how she would like it if someone recorded her while she was at work.
He said comedians were a ‘dying breed’ because they worried people will film unseen or controversial content and post it online.
Before leaving he tried to perform an old set, telling the crowd he would just do ‘some safe material from now on’.
But eventually he turned to the woman and said: ‘You’ve ruined it now’.
‘I was really looking forward to this gig.’
Then he apologised to everyone and, grabbed his backpack from behind the stage area and left.
The woman responded by telling the rest of the audience that she was just taking photos and videos like others had done.
A spokesperson for Russell Howard said at the time: ‘Any comedian whose set is being recorded at a new material night would find it distracting. The beauty of live performance particularly at this strange time is it’s intended for the room only.’
