Comedian, power-lifter, soccer mom, bean fanatic… Jess Fostekew is all these things and more. In this funny, fun and fascinating episode there’s laughing and learning…Why you should never wear gloves in the gym, why y’all need to be eating more beans, and why hugging, within certain parameters, could be the best thing you can do for your wellbeing… Keep up with Jess by following her on Instagram HERE . There’s also like, one date left for her ‘Iconic Breath’ tour so you can check that out and bu...
May 13, 2026•1 hr 1 min
How did Cody go from working for Matt Hancock to being one of the sharpest satirists online? And what has it all got to do with a pub in Cyprus? It’s all in this delightful podcast with comedian and writer Cody Dahler who takes you on a ride through the hills of Cyprus to Spanish Music Festivals and a recommendation of the book that changed Cody’s life (love a good book recommendation!) And while we’re on the subject of book recommendations, one of the hottest upcoming books is The State of This...
May 06, 2026•56 min
Hey there! It's all the best bits from our April shows, wrapped up in a convenient bundle for your pleasure! Gasp at Dara O Briain's secret life as a nightclub dancer. Oooo at Mike Rice's Dairy Farming History Be amazed at Janine Harouni's story of squeaking thighs Pick your jaw off the floor after listening to Sean McLoughlin wax lyrical about Star Trek: The Next Generation And be wowed by Jamie Hutchinson's love of Rolls of Honour. It's all in here, if you like one go back and enjoy the whole ...
May 02, 2026•1 hr 6 min
Jamie Hutchinson, the voice of Manchester, the wildly popular comedian is with us and it’s a fantastic romp through the most intense made-up games, the frenzy of horse-racing commentary and the simple pleasure of answering obscure quiz questions with your mates. There’s also a top tip for comedy writing in there towards the end. Genuinely useful… 🎤 Jamie is on tour RIGHT NOW! His latest show has had rave reviews and it’s called ‘Can My Mate Come, He’s Sound’. Quite a few of the dates are sold o...
Apr 29, 2026•58 min
Blisteringly talented comedian Janine Harouni is in the studio this week picking out the things that make her happy which include nerds, digital clocks… and a great story about how to get her thighs to stop squeaking in front of Robert Pattinson. It’s all in here, so please enjoy at your leisure! Janine’s current tour is called ‘This is What you Waited For’ and we waited a bit too long to promote this one because there’s only a handful of dates left: Birmingham on May 8th and Manchester on May 2...
Apr 22, 2026•1 hr 4 min
He’s often called the Comic’s Comic, he’s a really excellent stand-up and his Five Things are a fantastically esoteric collection ranging from Moshing to Ice Hockey to Star Trek. Sean hosts his very own late-night talk show, but for free and on YouTube starring one of the funniest comics from the UK and World circuits. It’s called ‘The Sean McTalk Show’ and it’s frankly criminal that you can get this without paying, it’s extremely good indeed - check it out through this link. 🎟️ And please do g...
Apr 15, 2026•58 min
The acerbic, charming Irish stand-up is here with his Five Brilliant Things and tales from an extraordinary career, spanning from the milking sheds of Ireland to travelling the world performing to thousands, via regular visits to a shed to hang out with a tiny mystic man. Mike’s touring! We talked about it on the podcast and we weren’t lying. It’s Mike’s most accomplished solo comedy show to date and if you like what you hear you’ll love his live show. Find out those Irish and UK dates by going ...
Apr 08, 2026•1 hr 3 min
Hello there! Welcome to March’s Moments of the Month. In case you’re new here, this is a compilation show with a little snifter 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 November was the brilliant Northern Irish stand-up Shane Todd. After that we were visited by another sup...
Apr 04, 2026•57 min
The hugely acclaimed Irish Stand-up and host of Mock the Week gives a fascinating and funny hour of anecdotes. Travel with Dara on debating tours of Ireland, stand in a field with him doing astral photography and hear Dara’s trick for finding his own personal nightclub dance floor. Dara has some date left for his smash show ‘Re:Creation’. It helps if you’re Scandinavian, as many of the dates are in that neck of the woods however there are some England and Ireland dates at the end of 2026 too. Yo...
Apr 01, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Comedian Andrew Mensah joins us with tales of playing Padel with Wayne Rooney, the economics of Air Force One Trainers and why there’s nothing better than sitting down for a game of Articulate. There’s also a fascinating insight into the way British society interfaces with its cultural landscape; Andrew’s account of how he managed to move from the gang culture of his childhood to become well-loved fixture on the comedy circuit is the kind of thing you don’t hear often. Andrew is always gigging a...
Mar 25, 2026•1 hr 4 min
One of the most popular faces from British TV is here; from This Morning, from Tipping Point and so much more it’s Ben Shephard! What comes through in this ebullient show is Ben’s love for life and thirst for experiences (and thirst for drinks with bubbles in them). Ben takes us on a trip on the back of a motorbike through the London traffic, lifts the lid on how you go about doing a Men’s Health cover-shoot and forces Russell to try on a cardigan. And as we spoke about on the show, Ben (alongsi...
Mar 18, 2026•1 hr 5 min
Pierre is a formidable stand-up comedian and it’s a pleasure to take this wander around the corners of his fascinating brain. This fun and fascinating episode of Five Brilliant Things takes in the majesty of beef, the efficiency of Grahame Greene, the mystery of thunder and finally why you must go out, find a child, and make it watch you read a book. Curious? You should be; all is revealed within Pierre’s episode here. 🎭 Pierre’s out on tour and you should experience him raw (by which I mean li...
Mar 11, 2026•1 hr 6 min
Welcome to our best of February's shows, with a little snippet of each of the four shows we slung into the world across the last month. This show features Charlie Higson talking about the wonders of the Voyager Space Probe... Comedian and podcaster Amy Gledhill eulogising about some of the most Northern sandwiches you could imagine... Comedy legend Harry Enfield on the utility and beauty of the 'umble wig... and Taskmaster's Stevie Martin on why she covets other people's sofas. This is just a ta...
Mar 07, 2026•46 min
You want strong opinions about bananas? You’ve come to the right place. Northern Irish powerhouse comedian Shane Todd has flown in to give Russell his Five Brilliant Things, and bananas are right out of the traps. Even the hardest of hearts will be turned by his impassioned defence of the bendy yellow berry. Shane also make the case for simply pottering around, keeping sock drawers in check and he lets himself off the leash when he gets talking about Irish boybands. It’s all here and it’s flying...
Mar 04, 2026•1 hr 4 min
This is a cracking episode with a cracking comedian. The Taskmaster star Stevie Martin speaks with completely unguarded honesty about her favourite things which leads to not one but several introspective spirals! What is it about chonky penne, pyrex jugs and interior design that could lead to a live-on-air existential episode? Get your bobbles in your ears, press play and find out. It’s lots of fun. 🎭 You should go to see Stevie live! Stevie extended has her critically acclaimed and sold-out de...
Feb 25, 2026•1 hr 2 min
A true icon of British TV Comedy - it’s Harry Enfield! It’s no exaggeration to say that he redefined a whole generation of comedy in this country, with his jokes and catchphrases reaching millions every week. Harry sits down with Russell to explain his brilliant things and also give a candid insight into how they created those iconic characters and sketches - a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the biggest hitting comedy of the last fifty years was formed. 🎭 Harry is off on tour around the ...
Feb 18, 2026•57 min
This week we have the winner of the 2024 Edinburgh Best Show! One of Britain’s fastest rising comics is with us; it’s the fabulous Amy Gledhill and this is an absolute banger of an episode. Hull’s most exciting product since the White Phone Box explains why cheap white bread is better than all your fancy Italian nonsense, how working in a dungeon gave her existential dread and why she enjoys spending her free time singing about tapeworms and listening to hairdryers. 🎫 Amy is putting the finishi...
Feb 11, 2026•1 hr 4 min
From our January shows, here's a little taster of each episode so you can get a flavour of the things we got up to with our wonderful guests: Comedian and star of ‘The Change’ on C4, Bridget Christie Comic and social media sensation Daniel Foxx Actor and stand-up Tom Rosenthal And the endlessly fascinating historian, Dan Snow. If you hear anything you like, circle back and enjoy the whole episode - they are all there waiting for you to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...
Feb 09, 2026•47 min
British Sketch Comedy Royalty in the studio. One of the core cast of the iconic Fast Show is here and his name is Charlie Higson! He lays out the Five Things that make life interesting - get ready for a delightful journey through James Bond, what is and isn’t included on the Golden Record that we yeeted into space. How did Charlie go from being a Punk Band frontman to a decorator to a comedian… and a best selling James Bond author? What a life. 📖 Charlie has just released his latest book; it’s ...
Feb 04, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Fascinating, delightful company. That’s what Historian Dan Snow is. I suppose the skill of any historian worth their salt is to use that historical knowledge and make it relevant today, and this endlessly interesting podcast does exactly that. Dan’s passions go way beyond history, drawing in sailing tall ships, democracy and most importantly of all, his greatest passion beyond all other things: GHERKINS. 📖 Dan’s treatment of history is available to us all through History Hit : A series of podca...
Jan 28, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Tom Rosenthal is a comedian with a deep interest in all things: His Brilliant Things include The Danish Gambit, The Golden Ratio and Trip Reports. This is a repeatedly fascinating conversation where Tom is completely unguarded and enthusiastic in his descriptions of these corners of humanity. He also conjures, from nowhere, the most outstanding improvised acid trip you’ll ever hear. It’s well worth your time. We talked about it on the show; Tom’s latest show is out on tour. It’s called ‘Whatever...
Jan 21, 2026•1 hr 2 min
Why is it the ruder the waiter, the more it gets Daniel Foxx excited? The laconic comedian is here to explain the beauty of surly service, the simple serenity brought by a scented candle, and you’ll experience some of the worst ASMR in podcast history. Russell also relates the time Louis Theroux gyrated aggressively at him. That’s worth the admission fee alone. Daniel’s latest tour ‘How Lovely’ is about to hit UK theatres, so to get yourself a whole evening of this very funny comic please check ...
Jan 14, 2026•59 min
Superb comedian Bridget Christie is here. She’s won the Edinburgh Award, she’s been nominated for oodles of comedy prizes, she’s written and performed in two series of her own show ‘The Change’ for Channel 4 and now she sits down with us to reveal her Five Brilliant Things. It’s as thoughtful and funny as you would imagine from a comic as good as Bridget, including why empathy is disappearing, why we underestimate water and driving a motorbike through London at night. Zoom zoom. Bridget has writ...
Jan 07, 2026•1 hr 2 min
From our December shows, here's a little taster of each episode so you can get a flavour of the things we got up to with our wonderful guests: Doctor/Writer Adam Kay Taskmaster star and stand-up Ania Magliano Stand-up comedy legend Ross Noble and one of the most fascinating people in Britain, Rory Sutherland. If you hear anything you like, circle back and enjoy the whole episode - they are all there waiting for you to listen. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...
Jan 03, 2026•1 hr 15 min
Marketing expert and thinker-outside-the-box, Rory Sutherland is here with his Five Brilliant Things and they all begin with the letter C: Consumerism, Contradictions, Cars, Commuter Towns, Cornbread and the Commonwealth. You’ll notice that’s more than five things, which typifies this episode. The ideas and conversation flowing out of Rory and Russell was abundant and it’s one of the most densely packed interesting shows we’ve made in ages. If you are sparked off by the way Rory thinks then you ...
Dec 31, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Happy Christmas! This week Russell looks back over all of the shows from 2025 and picks his favourite moments from 52 x 5 Brilliant Things (So…quick bit of maths…that’s…260 Brilliant Things). We’ll be back in a week with a brand new show and loads of super-exciting guests in the new year. On our Patreon show something a bit special this week - Russell and Dan sit down and talk about how they made the TV show Good News. For anyone who enjoyed that show, it’s a real treat and an insight into what ...
Dec 24, 2025•54 min
One of Britain’s most mercurial and naturally talented stand-ups of all time, Ross Noble sits down with Russell to explain how he went from a school drop-out with a couple of circus skills to one of the greatest stand-ups Britain’s ever produced. He also goes into detail about Cuttlefish. Ross is in the middle of his latest live tour, called ‘Cranium of Curiosities’. It’s a full show of brand-new stand-up and it is going to all those UK theatres, then to Australia with dates all through 2026. Fi...
Dec 17, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Ania Magliano loves gossip, and she’s here to share some CHOICE cuts of the stuff. From Taskmaster, Stand-up Ania is in the studio and she’s running us through her favourite things which takes us on a journey through some unashamedly indulgent birthday parties, the perils of being bold with your hair and some fascinating chat about writing process and generating comedy ideas. Oh, and did I mention the excellent gossip?! Ania is about to embark upon her next UK tour (well - she’s going to have Ch...
Dec 10, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Doctor, author, comedian, musician Adam Kay tells Russell about the things that he’s discovered that are brilliant. It’s a laugh-out-loud funny show that begins with a tale of conception, takes what it feels like to be spied on by Ben Wishaw, and by the end we are all getting acquainted with the inside of Adam’s nostrils. As spoken about in the show, Adam has published his first novel that is a thriller with plenty of laughs and tension. It’s called A Particularly Nasty Case and it’s available r...
Dec 03, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Hello, here's a round up of the best bits from the last month of shows, featuring the fantastic comic Kerry Godliman (she's so funny), wine expert Tom Gilbey with a great story about Iron Maiden, dictionary corner's Susie Dent and the American-Palestinian comic Mo Amer. If you hear something you like you can double-back and take in the whole episode if you like! Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choice...
Nov 29, 2025•47 min
