Russell Howard's statement in full after shocking fans by quitting 19-year TV career

Comedian Russell Howard has announced he is quitting television after 19 years. Despite once being a regular on Sky and BBC shows, he has not appeared on the small screen since the summer of 2022

Comedian Russell Howard has announced his retirement from TV work and has no plans to return to the small screen anytime soon.

After a stellar 19-year run on television, Howard, who has amassed a fortune thanks to his BBC and Sky show, has decided to hang up his TV hat and focus his attention on his original love, stand-up comedy. The 44-year old comic revealed on the Have A Word podcast: "I don't do TV anymore, I just do stand-up and my podcast."

His statement regarding his career decision reads in full: "I was all over the world and it was just fun. TV is fun but it's not as fun [as stand-up]. 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. 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."

Speaking on the podcast hosted by comedians Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale, Howard also reminisced about his Netflix special and documentary, which gave fans a glimpse into his personal life, including the touching story of how he shared his bed with his epileptic brother Daniel for a year following a severe seizure.

In an emotional reveal from 2021, comedian Howard shared the harrowing experience that resulted in his brother Daniel's epilepsy. Talking about the distressing situation, he remembered how Daniel insisted on sleeping next to him, resting his leg against Russell as a precautious measure against potential seizures.

Howard, who became a household name with his BBC series Good News from 2009 to 2015 and later with The Russell Howard Hour on Sky, is stepping away from TV in order to give his full attention to his podcasts: Five Brilliant Things and the football-themed production GoalLess.

Despite being a familiar face on Mock the Week as a regular panelist, which has since been cancelled, Howard's last TV gig was on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of Telly in August. Over the years, Howard has popped up on shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie to You?

Howard became a father for the first time last year after welcoming a son into the world with his wife Cerys Morgan. Speaking during an interview in August, Howard revealed his son had been born three months earlier and he and his wife Cerys, who is a geriatric doctor, had moved to Buckinghamshire from London to start a new chapter as a family.

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. So I try to get sleep whenever I can. Right now, I need it."

Howard began dating his wife back in 2004 as his career began to take off. The happy couple announced their engagement was announced on Alan Carr's Chatty Man on New Year's Eve in 2018 and their wedding took place the following year. Speaking in an interview this month, Howard admitted being an older father has made him more fearful of dying.

"Having a young son at 44 has made me terrified of dying. I like the idea of being around for ever. I’m really into 'biohacking'," he told The i Paper. "I eat two meals a day. I’ve clearly got a desperately strange relationship with food. It really started during Covid, when I happened upon the podcaster Andrew Huberman. I started trying to do the things he suggested, like the cold showers.

"My dad’s mum died when he was young, and now my dad’s really into fitness. I think I’ve inherited his mania with death. I hate the idea of withering. I’ve seen relatives wither, and it was awful. If I could make it to 90 and be myself until 89 that would be enough for me. I just love the idea of cheating that ageing process."

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