Russell Howard has announced the death of his baby boy Felix who passed away soon after his wife Cerys Morgan gave birth to him earlier this year.
The comedian, 46, shared the devastating news on Instagram on Friday and thanked the NHS for their support and being able to spend ‘precious hours’ with their son.
Russell explained he and his doctor wife are now launching the Felix Foundation in their son’s memory to help other families who experience child loss.
The TV star, who did not publicly announce they were expecting a second child, revealed he will be hosting a gala to raise funds for the charity.
Sharing the news online, Russell 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.
Russell Howard has announced the death of his baby boy who passed away soon after his wife Cerys gave birth to him earlier this year (pictured with wife Cerys in 2023)
The comedian, 46, shared the devastating news on his Instagram page on Friday morning and thanked the National Health Service (NHS) for their support (pictured 2024)
‘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.
‘And so, in Felix’s memory, we are establishing The Felix Foundation. 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 by:
‘Supporting the additional training of midwives in specialist bereavement care, through yearly grants to enable them to access resources such as counselling qualifications.
‘Funding resources to provide emotional support and practical assistance.
Sharing the news online, Russell said: ‘Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth’
‘Providing or funding dedicated rooms, facilities, equipment and resources within hospitals, maternity units, neonatal units and other appropriate healthcare settings, supporting the care, wellbeing and dignity of babies and their families.
‘Providing information, guidance, signposting and other resources to affected families.
‘Raising awareness of late miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal loss and related bereavement, and the support needs of affected families.’
In his statement, Russell revealed he will be hosting a charity gala at the O2 in London with his famous comedian friends to raise money for the foundation.
He said: ‘To help launch the foundation and raise vital funds for this work, I will be hosting a very special charity gala at The 02 in London on 8 February 2027.
‘Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of friends and colleagues, we have managed to put together an incredible line-up of comedians, 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.
‘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.’
He concluded: ‘The Felix Foundation is named after our beautiful 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.’
‘We would love it if you came along and helped us make Felix’s legacy something truly special.’
Russell is currently touring Don’t Tell The Algorithm across the UK, following a run at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe.
Russell and his wife, Cerys, started dating in 2004 when he was 21 and she was 17, before marrying in June 2019. The couple welcomed their first baby boy in 2024.
If you have been affected by this story, you can call Child Bereavement UK on 0800 028 8840 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email [email protected]
