Now, are all the traitors present?

Let's get started, shall we? From rags to riches. I'm so sick of this. Working like a dog and being treated worse. Yorkshire to New York. Poor climbers, you and me. A life dedicated to revenge. Let's make this an occasion to remember. A woman of substance on Channel 4, stream now. Hello, Russell Howard here.

Right now, I'm in America on tour, and while I'm here, I thought it would be a good idea to record some special episodes of Wonderbox with comedians who rarely come to Britain.

In case it's your first time listening, a wonderbox is a place to keep things that remind you of all the best things from your life.

So that's what this is. Me and a guest talking about the things that make them happy.

My guest is a British comic who managed to break America.

He's the host of HBO's last week tonight with John Oliver. As you probably guessed,

this is John Oliver's Wonderbox.

Hey, John, welcome.

There you go.

That's upbeat.

Welcome, John Oliver.

That is the kind of upbeat tone of voice

that truly welcomes another human being.

Have you changed?

Did you come to America?

Because you hugged me in the corridor. I did. That wouldn't have happened 10 years ago. And you're wearing cologne now. I'm not wearing a cologne. I've had a shower. But that is also a change. I've washed. That's what I've done. I regularly do you do, you do you do that every day? I might not have. Do you think I wouldn't have hugged you? I guess I probably wouldn't. No. I was very physically shut down. I think now I'm open to a hug if, and only if, I haven't seen the person for half a decade or more. Fair. Yeah, you can't do it. If I'm seeing you every day, no. Leave for five years.

Sure.

Then I'll hug you on the way back once.

Then we restart the clock.

Okay.

So if I see you next week, you'll get a firm handshake.

...