Charlie Higson

Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things

Avalon

Comedy Interviews, Comedy

4.5 • 566 Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2026

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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 an History of Britain’s Kings and Queens; but less funny hats and pageantry and more treachery, incest and murder. It’s called ‘Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee’ and it’s also illustrated by Jim Moir, who you probably know better as Vic Reeves. Anyway it’s fascinating and funny and it’s available from bookshops or online now, or you can just follow this link 📖 🎟️ YOU WANT LIVE COMEDY? Russell’s brand new tour show ‘Don’t Tell The Algorithm’ is starting its grand journey across the UK: Don’t miss this fantastic show of all brand-new material. Find out more at https://www.russell-howard.co.uk 🎟️ And like the Voyager Space Probe, this blurb continues its endless journey into the void long past the point where anyone can receive it, and long past the point where anyone cares about it. Just bibbling its way aimlessly into the darkness, without purpose, getting slowly smaller and further away. 🛸 Producer: Dan Atkinson Line Producer: Daisy Knight Exec Producer: James Taylor Composer: Fat Lady Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The weight is over. Last One Laughing is back and it's even more brutal than last time. Share your biggest regrets. I don't regret this haircut. What did you ask for? The Shaggy Slim Shady? Joining us this series we have... Romish Wengrenner Nathan, Diane Morgan, David Mitchell, Mel Gedroich, Amy Gledhill, Alan Carr, Bemi Sola, Ike Mello, Sam Campbell, Maisie Adam, and Bob Mortimer.
0:21.6	Anyone want a song?
0:22.6	No.
0:23.6	Last One Laughing, new series, watch now.
0:26.6	Only on Prime Video.
0:29.6	Project Hail Mary is an awe-inspiring masterpiece.
0:33.6	I'm not an astronaut.
0:35.6	Critics are in agreement. It's utterly spellbinding. So, I met an astronaut. Critics are in agreement.
0:38.9	It's utterly spellbinding.
0:41.4	So, I met an alien.
0:43.4	Mesmerizing and profoundly moving.
0:44.0	No, I never.
0:45.9	Thumbs up, baby.
0:47.1	Project Hail Mary.
0:48.4	Amaze, amaze.
0:49.6	In Cinemas now.
1:03.9	You know. Hello, my friends, welcome to Five Brilliant Things, where I sit down with fascinating people to talk about the things they love.
1:10.4	My guest today is a comedian, an author who wrote and starred in The Fast Show as well as creating the young James Bond books.
1:14.5	It's Charlie Higson, and here he is with his five brilliant things.
1:23.1	Charlie Hickson, what an absolute pleasure to meet you.
1:26.2	Well, it's a great pleasure to be here and to meet you, Russell.
1:44.8	We were just saying the Fast Show, you've just come off a tour. Yes, we've done five weeks. It's kind of second leg of a tour that we started last spring, and then we're doing more at the end of January. You know, when we put the tickets up originally, because it had been 20 years since we've done anything live.
	...

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