Comedian Russell Howard sets up foundation in memory of 'beautiful baby boy'

Comedian Russell Howard has set up a foundation in memory of his son who died shortly after being born.

The 46-year-old Mock The Week star and his NHS doctor wife, Cerys Morgan, experienced the tragic loss earlier this year, according to a devastating statement Howard shared on Instagram today (Friday, September 4).

The couple had not publicly announced they were expecting a second child.

The statement said: "Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth. During the most devastating time of our lives, the hospital staff who cared for us showed extraordinary compassion, kindness and humanity. They helped us navigate an unimaginable heartache and gave us support when we needed it most.

“We were assigned a bereavement midwife, Lauren, who had experienced a similar tragedy. After losing her own baby, Lauren retrained as a midwife so that she could help other families going through what she had been through. Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words.

“During our time in hospital, Felix was placed in a cool cot, which meant that my wife and I were able to spend precious hours with our beautiful boy. We could hold him, talk to him and tell him just how much we loved him.

“Those hours are among the most precious memories we have of Felix. We were overwhelmed by the care we received, and we made a promise to each other: that we would try to help other families who find themselves facing the same devastating circumstances.”

Russell and Cerys now hope to help others who have been in their situation as he announced he has set up The Felix Foundation in memory of his son.

He added that “the foundation will aim to relieve the needs of parents, siblings and other close family members affected by miscarriage premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related bereavement."

Russell will also host a charity event to raise funds for The Felix Foundation at London’s O2 Arena on February 8, 2027. It will feature a line-up of famous faces, including Jimmy Carr, Greg Davies, John Bishop, Michael McIntyre, Aisling Bea and Mo Gilligan.

More information on the charity and signing up to pre-sale tickets is on The Felix Foundation website.