A BBC comedian has quit television despite having hit shows on BBC and Sky. Russell Howard has announced he’s quitting television after 19 years on air despite making himself a household name with his stints on the likes of Mock the Week.
Russell, 44, made his final appearance on the small screen back in August during an appearance on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz of Telly. Russell, aged 44, spoke out and said: “I don’t do TV anymore, I just do stand-up and my podcast.”
He told the Have A Word 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 said “there’s nothing else I’d rather do” than putting together an entire set and touring.
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He added: “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.” He went on, saying: “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 has hosted his own television shows, Russell Howard’s Good News and The Russell Howard Hour, and appeared on the topical panel TV show Mock the Week.
Russell, who lived in Warwickshire, won “Best Compère” at the 2006 Chortle Awards and was nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award for his 2006 Aberdeen Festival Fringe show. In recent years he has appeared on Sunday Brunch on Channel 4, back in 2018 as well as on Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, Russell Howard’s Home Time, Russell Howard Stands Up To The World and Russell Howard: Lubricant – Netflix (2021) – Himself.
He has also appeared on A League of Their Own and Fantasy Football League.