Mock The Week star Russell Howard at Echo Arena, Liverpool

Jul 23 2009 by Paul Mannion, Chester Chronicle

MOCK The Week star Russell Howard will be at the Echo Arena Liverpool with his 10-date UK tour Big Rooms and Belly Laughs, later this year.

The edgy comedian had his first break taking over the Sunday morning slot on BBC 6 radio, after controversial presenter Russell Brand left the post in 2006.

It wasn’t long before 29-year-old Howard himself quit, after a year and a half, fearing a repeat of Sachsgate, which almost ruined Brand and Jonathon Ross.

“You’re just in a room talking with your mates. And when you’re with your mates what do you do? You get naughtier and naughtier,” said Howard.

“Then you slowly forget what you’re doing is public broadcasting. So I stopped because I just didn’t like the idea of being in someone’s house talking in the morning.”

Howard has some sympathy for Brand, who has fled to the United States to pursue an acting career in the wake of his ill-judged prank calls, with Ross, to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.

“I find it really depressing because maybe 0.5% of the population cared and the rest of the nation were just shrugging their shoulders going, ‘Hmmm, I’m not really bothered’,” he added.

“What might happen now is we get comedy which is not as initiative because people are worried about trivial things. I imagine, though, it’ll blow over.”

Howard insists he will pull no punches in Mock The Week, with his role alongside host Dara O’Briain and fellow panellists Frankie Boyle and Andy Parsons.

“After the Russell Brand-Jonathan Ross thing, we don’t have to be toothless,” he said.

“That would be a real shame. Half the battle is compliance – what can and can’t be shown.

“It’s not the usual topical joke show. What I like about Mock The Week is that it’s big belly laughs rather than that kind of sneering laugh.”

Like a cross between Whose Line Is It Anyway and Have I Got News For You, it includes some of the UK’s best-loved comedians.

Filming of each half-hour episode takes about three hours, in front of a live studio audience.

“There are moments where our brains go blank and when we say stuff that could never, ever get on TV,” said Howard.

“Then we have to rein it back in and remember it’s a TV show.

“It’s such a long recording, and I sit on my knees. Once I got horrible pins and needles and had this terrible moment where I had all these comedic legends around me while I was screaming about having cramp.

“Adam Hills – a comedian who’s only got one leg – came over and started twisting my leg back. It’s happened twice since. They’ve even got me a cushion to try to stop me sitting on my knees.”

For Howard, the potential restrictions on comedians aren’t enough to sour his love for his career – which he has been forging since the age of 15.

“I had about five mates at school,” he added.

“My life wasn’t dissimilar to Channel 4 school comedy The Inbetweeners.”

His goal of becoming a stand-up comic didn’t endear him much to family and friends.

“Ed Byrne said something which is very true: before you do stand-up, you’re a real pain because everyone you meet is an audience and you try to make them laugh as much as you can.”

Tickets for Russell Howard at the Echo Arena Liverpool on December 16 cost £20 and are available from www.echoarena.com or the box office on 0844 8000 400.