Russell Howard

Russell Howard interview

Russell Howard chats to TV Choice about making his show, school days, and why he prefers working on telly to radio...

'Good News' host Russell Howard breaks hand on set

Bad news! Russell Howard breaks his hand on set.

This is the fifth series of the stupendously successful topical comedy show, which has regularly seen its host top the Twitter trending charts and made him the third most Googled comedian in Britain. Russell Howard is loveable and sharp as he riffs off the week's biggest and daftest stories, reminding you just how much he's missed on Mock The Week.

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A quick chat with Russell Howard

As Russell Howard's returns to BBC3 for a new series, TV & Satellite Week magazine caught up with him to find out more...

Russell Howard interview

We know Russell Howard's Good News is tough to write, so does Russell Howard dread its return or look forward to it?

The contracts are coming at Chris Addison thick and fast these days: Skins; those ubiquitous Direct Line ads; then later this month he's presenting Show & Tell, a new E4 stand-up show in which up-and-coming comics do a short routine on a random object. In addition, to all that comes this six-week stint on Mock The Week - a show he is no stranger to, and which has badly needed a new permanent member since Frankie Boyle and Russell Howard left for pastures new.

This week saw Mock the Week enter into double-figures as the show entered its 10th series. Judging by the latest episode, it's set to continue for some time to come.

Without Russell Howard, the show guest starred Chris Addison, Greg Davies, Milton Jones and Seann Walsh. Out of the guests, it was Jones, with his surreal and clever one-liners, and Walsh, who came up with the best Michael McIntyre impression I've ever come across, who stole the show. The other comics had moments too, with Davies coming up with a Blackadderesque extended simile about his grandmother's use of facial products.

There was some interesting stuff from the regulars as well, such as Dara O'Briain introducing a round called: "There's No Super-injunction on our Ryan Gags", and Hugh Dennis's running joke about Sepp Blatter's name sounding like the German for "step ladder".

Annoyingly, like in so many satirical comedies, many of the jokes were lazy. Addison did one about Eric Pickles and his weight, while Walsh made one about Wayne Rooney's stupidity. Walsh also got a rather cheap laugh from making up a taunted schoolboy called Richard Poowillie.

There was a time when Mock the Week felt like Have I Got News for You's spikier younger brother. Its brow was low. Its comedy jeans hung at half-mast. In any given show you could be sure of jokes involving sex, drugs and royalty (or if Frankie Boyle was involved, all three at once). But Boyle has moved on and, for the time being, so has fellow stalwart Russell Howard, and the comedy in this topical panel show feels more comfortable and less subversive these days. As the tenth series begins, Dara O'Briain is still keeping order, with Andy Parsons and Outnumbered star Hugh Dennis as the key comics, ready to step forward and attempt to outgun each other on any given topic. Tonight they are joined by the smart and funny Chris Addison (from The Thick of It) and Greg Davies (Mr Gilbert from The Inbetweeners).