Russell Howard

I don't understand what you mean.

But you've had a shout out on Russell Howard recently.

Yes.

Well, sure.

set the scene.

So they didn't know who you are.

Well, I found that weird because Russell Howard and Dan Atkinson, who's his producer, they've been around a long time, haven't they? So I assume they would have known you from...

Well, I had met Russell Howard, but way back.

And what I've always enjoyed about playing with you, first of all, it was a massive shock because we'd never met each other.

This has got to be the best part of 20 years ago and we were in some five-a-side tournament and I was like... fucking hell, Russell Howard can play.

So I was, yeah, that's fair.

And I'm not massively generous with praise when it comes to football.

Oh God.

That was Russell Howard.

well this is it that's like surely all the validation all that worrying as a kid about people liking you and all of that and bang you're now the lead

yeah yeah felt pretty good did it yeah I think so it must have done yeah So that happened at school.

That was interesting.

I did Russell Howard's podcast, which was one

of the first ones I did.

Oh, that was really good.

there are some things we need to discuss in the heated rivalry universe.

The first is the amount of hate I'm getting, I explained on Russell Howard's podcast, the concept of hockey smut slash heated rivalry to him in a jovial light touch way because he wasn't ready for

the deep dive.

I will say every podcast I currently go on as a guest, they're like, so you host a podcast with Catherine Bohart.

So to say that that podcast makes me sound like the most mentally unhinged I'll ever sound is unfortunate.

That's so funny.

Speaking of men who, like I said, didn't have time and had never heard of a hockey spot, I explained in light touch ways on Russell Howard's podcast about this and I'm getting a lot.

Wait, what are people saying? The comment section is full of people being like, have you ever even watched Heated Rivalry? If you think it's just a sex show, if you just think it's a sex show, oh yeah, great.

Yeah, and some.

Speaking of shows, little bit different, I got tickets for my birthday to go and see, uh, Russell Howard next month.

Oh, did you?

Yeah.

I quite like Russell Howard.

He's funny, isn't he?

Yeah.

And every time it's because a, a comedian has pushed for me to be on their show.

John Bishop, Russell Howard, Dan Atkinson doing Live at the Electric.

Right.

Um, always been other comics that have given me a leg up, which is lovely.

I don't know, is it sadness a little bit that this year's summer's already been and gone? So I woke up this morning feeling a little reflective and it might have also been because I knew I was going to have a very important conversation today because I speak to you from the same day where I spoke to my guest.

A little while back I was looking on the internet and I saw a news story about the comedian Russell Howard and he put up a note on his Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that when Russell and his wife were having their second baby, their second boy, unfortunately, their baby was stillborn.

And he said in his message, I just want to say thank you to our incredible bereavement midwife, Lauren, who really helped us.

And I thought, who is this? Lauren.

Mm.

to your work, to the people whose lives you affected.

And then the reason I saw your name, I know you've, been very brilliant and the spokesperson for various campaigns but I saw the comedian Russell Howard message and he'd put this note up about he and his wife with their second baby they had a stillbirth it happened months before he felt ready to share it he's doing amazing fundraising coming up in February sold out completely incredible and he'd said I wanted to say about our midwife Lauren because she was incredible and I just thought I have to know who this she sounds special who's she My phone was blowing up that day.

Everyone said,