Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things March's Moments of the Month
Apr 4, 2026
Andrew Mensah, South-East London comic who jokes about padel and celebrity run-ins. Ben Shephard, TV presenter with a fondness for fizzy drinks and drinking rituals. Pierre Novellie, internationally toured comic who recalls thunderstorms and growing up in Johannesburg. Shane Todd, Northern Irish comic who riffs on boy bands and early-career tales. They trade funny stories about sport, nostalgia, travel and drinks.
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How Pop Ballads Create Powerful Childhood Memories
- Shane Todd finds that soaring pop ballads (like Boyzone's A Different Beat) create a vivid childhood emotional memory tied to imagined exotic experiences.
- He recalls playing the track on a tape player and feeling it was the best song he'd heard, despite its romanticised, unlikely lyrics.
Childhood Thunder In Johannesburg
- Pierre Novellie links thunderstorms to childhood in Johannesburg, where frequent, apocalyptic summer storms made thunder a cozy, sleep-inducing sound for him.
- He explains Johannesburg's high altitude and dry climate produce intense lightning and rope-like rain, which he still loves.
When Dickens Doesn't Land Abroad
- Pierre Novellie recounts bombing a Fagin joke in Estonia because cultural references like Dickens don't always translate to local audiences.
- He checked with a bilingual local who warned the Fagin reference wouldn't land, illustrating the risk of relying on culturally specific material abroad.