What’s it like to be hunted by the son of a murderous Libyan dictator? Spoiler: it’s not a Brilliant Thing, but it is an incredible story from this week’s guest Spencer Matthews.
There are tales of desert marathons, growing up on an island paradise and what it’s like when reality TV thrusts you into fame before you’re necessarily ready for it… A fascinating chat that goes in many interesting directions.
🏋️♀️ You can hear more of Spencer on his new weekly podcast Untapped, which he co-hosts with Jake Quickenden. The podcast explores how far you can push the human body. Whether it’s embracing fitness challenges, mastering new productivity hacks, or exploring lifestyle changes, Spencer and Jake will try it all, and share what truly makes a difference in their lives. 🏋️♀️
🎤 And Russell’s about to embark on a mini-European tour including live dates in Porto, Gibraltar, Berlin, Athens, Sofia and more - check out russell-howard.co.uk for dates and tickets. 🎤
✨ And if you are enjoying the podcast but get fed up with the adverts, you can get the whole thing advert-free forever, and get access to our second weekly show, and get it all a day before everyone else… and for a very small amount. Click here to find out more. ✨
Thanks for being you, keep being you until you can you no more. Byeeee.
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1:01:31
Nina Conti
Nina Conti, ventriloquist supreme, her with the monkey, is in the studio (no monkey) and chooses some incredible brilliant things (the density of an atom’s nucleus! The orange of the inside of an eyelid!). It’s a privileged ramble through the brain of an artist. Please enjoy.
🐵 Ninaontour.com is where you can find out about Nina's extended tour dates for Autumn 2025 including five dates at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from April 29th. Get your tickets! 🐵
As mentioned on the podcast, Nina’s directorial debut film Sunlight is doing the rounds at film festivals. To keep up with that and find out where you can see it next keep your eyes on Ninaconti.net
🐎 And this is a link to the John Mulaney routine, that Russell mentioned, about a Horse in a Hospital. Worth a listen for sure. 🐎
📻 And please give some serious consideration to enjoying this podcast in its natural form. No adverts, an extra weekly show and access to a community of many other like minded excellent people. Click here to find out more. 📻
And that’s the end. Let’s all do our best to make the next seven days life-changing and unbeatable. Let’s change the world. See you back here in a week for a debrief.
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1:00:27
Jay Rayner
How do you go from being a young sex columnist to a nationally acclaimed restaurant reviewer?
Food writer, broadcaster, jazz pianist and egg fanatic Jay Rayner is here.
If you have even a passing interest in anything foodie, there’s so much in here for you. New ways of loving tinned fish, the dark arts of restaurant reviewing, and a noble attempt by Russell to convert Jay into a football fan. Did he leave wearing a scarf and hat munching on a balti pie? You’ll have to listen to find out.
Jay is now reviewing restaurants for the Financial Times, so you can find those in print or online every week.
As Jay mentions on the podcast, his latest book Nights Out At Home is out now at all good independent bookshops, and there’s a few live tour dates to go with it.
📖 Buy the book here… 📖
🎤 Find out about the tour dates and book tickets here… 🎤
🍾 Oh, and Jay mentioned his favourite food magazine Noble Rot - you can check that out here. 🍾
🇺🇸 And if you happen to be in the United States right now, then why don’t you treat yourself and get along to one of Russell’s shows! He’s doing a brief tour of some cities in America that he hasn’t played for a while - check out where he be and get those tickets by going to russell-howard.co.uk 🇺🇸
If you’re enjoying this podcastness and you want it even podcastier, as in no adverts, an exclusive extra show every week that you help to make, and getting it all a day early… all for less than the cost of one sandwich a month… then click here to find out more.
Thanks for being a passenger on another flight here with Five Brilliant Things Air. We hope you have had a pleasant crossing, please leave your seatbelts fastened until the podcast has come to a complete standstill. The local time is (inaudible) and the weather is drizzly but should brighten up later.
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1:03:44
Rose Ayling-Ellis
What family game is Rose Ayling-Ellis banned from playing in her own home? Find out in the first ever podcast appearance by the actor and Strictly Come Dancing champion!
Rose takes Russell through the majesty of playing Catan, eating Posh Crisps and how the pandemic had a weird side-benefit for the deaf community.
It’s a great fun hour and well worth your time.
In this episode there’s a lot of chat about British Sign Language… if it’s piqued your curiosity and you want to find out more then get your ass (and hands) down to https://www.british-sign.co.uk
🚨Watch out for Rose playing the lead in the new ITV drama ‘Code of Silence’. 🚨
📚 Also, Rose’s book that she talked about in the show ‘Marvellous Messages’ is out now and you can get it here. It’s about all the different ways that communication happens and it’s a cracking book for kids who are 7-9. 📚
🇺🇸 And if you happen to be in the United States right now, then why don’t you treat yourself and get along to one of Russell’s shows! He’s doing a brief tour of some cities in America that he hasn’t played for a while - check out where he be and get those tickets by going to russell-howard.co.uk 🇺🇸
If you’re enjoying this podcastness and you want it even podcastier, as in no adverts, an exclusive extra show every week that you help to make, and getting it all a day early… all for less than the cost of one sandwich a month… then click here to find out more.
And we’re done. Time to put the microphone, keyboard, feather boa and udder lube back in the cupboard for another week. Time to get dressed again and leave the key under the doormat for the cleaners to do their thankless task.
Hope your week is filled with rainbows and flowers, unless you’ve got hay fever in which case maybe just go with some plastic flowers. Goodbye to you.
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1:04:27
Daniel Sloss
Is Russell a Paladin, a Warlock or a Rogue? Scottish comedy powerhouse Daniel Sloss introduces Russell to his world of D & D with his customary passion and flair. He also sings the praises of sneezes, and makes a convincing case for self-medicating in airports.
Daniel Sloss fans who are waiting for a new show, well you are in luck. He’s working up material now for his next tour, so if you live in Scotland you’ll be able to see him popping into your local comedy club and throwing ideas around. If that’s geographically inconvenient, then you’ll probably have to wait for the real thing.
Keep those beautiful eyes of yours on danielsloss.com where you’ll find news of the tour when it drops, and in the meantime you can stream all of Daniel’s existing shows. So go do that. Now.
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And get a free extra show every week?
And get it all a day before everyone else?
And join a bunch of like-minded happy people?
Well you’re in luck. You can do this and much more by clicking this here:
patreon.com/RussellHoward
If you want to give it a whirl for a month, then cancel, you can do that.
🇺🇸 Russell’s going to America! 🇺🇸
He’s got a bunch of East Coast dates coming around the corner, so if you’re in that part of the world then have a look at Russell-howard.co.uk to find out where the shows are and get your tickets.
That’s also the place to stream Russell’s latest special. Have a look.
And well I never we come to the end of another week of blurby blather. I can see the earth rising now, as we complete another full orbit. I sometimes wonder if it’s worth mentioning that we’re the first podcast to be entirely produced from orbit, but it feels a bit showy. Anyway, time I floated to the second module to have a breakfast of pureed croissants. Stay safe down there.
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Each week Russell sits down with fantastic guests to chat about their Brilliant Things; the items, places and people that make life worth living.
South Africa