Russell Howard has today revealed that his newborn son Felix passed away shortly after being born earlier this year.
The 46-year-old former Mock the Week star broke the news in an emotional Instagram post on Friday morning, expressing his gratitude to the NHS for the care his family received during what he described as the most devastating period of their lives.
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Mr Howard and his wife, NHS geriatric doctor Dr Cerys Morgan, had not publicly disclosed the pregnancy and opted to mourn in private for several months before sharing their loss.
“Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth,” Mr Howard wrote.
He praised hospital staff for demonstrating “extraordinary compassion, kindness and humanity,” adding that they helped the couple “navigate an unimaginable heartache” when they needed it most.
The couple were assigned a bereavement midwife called Lauren, who had endured the loss of her own baby and subsequently retrained in midwifery to provide specialist care to grieving families.
Mr Howard said: “Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words.”
During their time in hospital, Felix was placed in a cool cot, a device that allowed Mr Howard and Ms Morgan to spend extended, precious hours with their son.
“We could hold him, talk to him and tell him just how much we loved him,” the comedian wrote.
“Those hours are among the most precious memories we have of Felix.”
Mr Howard explained that they were “overwhelmed” by the support they received and vowed to find a way to offer the same comfort to other families enduring similar tragedy.
To honour Felix’s memory, the pair are launching The Felix Foundation, a charity dedicated to assisting parents, siblings and other close relatives affected by miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related bereavement.
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The foundation has four core objectives.
It will fund yearly grants enabling midwives to undertake additional bereavement care training, including counselling qualifications.
It will also finance emotional support and practical assistance for affected families.
Beyond direct support, the charity aims to provide or fund specialist rooms, facilities and equipment within hospitals, maternity units and neonatal units to safeguard the dignity and wellbeing of babies and their families.
The foundation will additionally offer guidance and signposting resources to bereaved families.
A further goal involves raising public awareness of late miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and neonatal loss, alongside highlighting the support needs of families who experience such devastating circumstances.
To raise funds for The Felix Foundation, Mr Howard is staging a major charity event at London’s O2 Arena on February 8, 2027.
The evening will boast a high-profile comedy lineup, with Jimmy Carr, Michael McIntyre, Greg Davies, John Bishop, Aisling Bea and Mo Gilligan all set to take to the stage.
“Every single one of these incredible performers is giving their time completely free of charge. I will never forget their generosity,” Mr Howard said.
In closing his announcement, the comedian expressed hope that Felix’s name would come to represent “kindness, compassion and laughter,” and that his son’s legacy could help other families “through the darkest moments of their lives.”
He invited the public to attend the event and help make that legacy “something truly special.”
Mr Howard and Ms Morgan have been together since 2004, having met when he was 21 and she was 17 through the sister of one of his friends.
He confirmed their engagement on the New Year’s Eve 2018 edition of Alan Carr’s Chatty Man, following a proposal in Japan.
They married in June 2019 in a small ceremony surrounded by family and friends.
The couple also have an older son, born in May 2025, whose name they have kept private.
Speaking on Chris and Rosie Ramsay’s Shagged Married Annoyed podcast in December, Mr Howard described parenthood as “the best thing in the world, and yet it’s tough.”
He joked about surviving on minimal sleep: “I’m surviving on three hours’ sleep. It makes gigs so much fun, because there’s a thrill that you could have a breakdown.”
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