Comedian Russell Howard has revealed that his baby son Felix died shortly after birth earlier this year, and that he and his wife are setting up a charity in the boy's memory.
The 46-year-old, best known for his years on the BBC panel show Mock The Week, shared the news on Instagram on Friday morning. He thanked National Health Service staff for their support and for helping the family spend what he called "precious hours" with their son. Howard and his wife, Cerys Morgan, a doctor, had not publicly announced that they were expecting a second child.
"Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth," Howard wrote. "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."
He said the family had been assigned a bereavement midwife called Lauren, who had experienced a similar tragedy herself. "After losing her own baby, Lauren retrained as a midwife so that she could help other families going through what she had been through," Howard wrote. "Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words."
Precious hours with Felix
Howard explained that during their time in hospital, Felix was placed in a cool cot, a piece of equipment that allowed the couple to spend extended time with their son after his death. "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," he wrote. "Those hours are among the most precious memories we have of Felix."
He said the couple had been "overwhelmed" by the care they received and had made a promise to each other to try to help other families facing the same devastating circumstances.
The Felix Foundation
Howard said the couple were establishing The Felix Foundation, which will aim to support parents, siblings and other close family members affected by miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related bereavement.
According to Howard, the foundation's work will include funding additional training for midwives in specialist bereavement care through yearly grants covering resources such as counselling qualifications, and funding emotional and practical support for affected families.
It will also aim to provide or fund dedicated rooms, facilities, equipment and resources within hospitals, maternity units and neonatal units to support the care, wellbeing and dignity of babies and their families, as well as offering information, guidance and signposting to those affected. Howard said the foundation would also work to raise awareness of late miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and neonatal loss, and the support needs of the families involved.
Charity gala at the O2
To launch the foundation, Howard said he will host a charity gala at The O2 in London on 8 February 2027. The O2 is one of the busiest indoor arenas in the world, regularly hosting major music and comedy events in Greenwich, southeast London.
Howard said friends and colleagues had put together what he described as an incredible line-up of comedians for the night, including Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Aisling Bea, Guz Khan, Greg Davies, Mo Gilligan, Michelle Wolf and John Bishop. "Every single one of these incredible performers is giving their time completely free of charge. I will never forget their generosity," he wrote.
"We would absolutely love it if you could join us for what promises to be a very special evening: a night of comedy, laughter and celebration, all in aid of a cause that means everything to our family," Howard added.
Felix's legacy
Howard concluded his statement by saying The Felix Foundation was named after his son. "We miss him dearly, every single day, but we take some comfort in knowing that his name will stand for kindness, compassion and laughter, and that his legacy may help other families through the darkest moments of their lives," he wrote. "We would love it if you came along and helped us make Felix's legacy something truly special."
Russell and Cerys's relationship
Howard and Morgan began dating in 2004, when he was 21 and she was 17, and married in June 2019. The couple welcomed their first son in 2024.
Howard is currently touring the UK with his stand-up show Don't Tell The Algorithm, following a run at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival held annually in the Scottish capital.
Anyone affected by this story can contact Child Bereavement UK on 0800 028 8840, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, or by emailing [email protected].
