Comedian Russell Howard has revealed that his son Felix died shortly after his wife Cerys Morgan gave birth earlier this year.
The Mock The Week star, 46, shared the devastating news on Instagram today and thanked the NHS for their support and being able to spend ‘precious hours’ with their son.
Russell explained that he and his doctor wife are now launching the Felix Foundation in the boy’s memory to help other families experiencing child loss.
The TV star, who did not publicly announce the couple were expecting a second child, revealed he will host a gala to raise money for charity.
Breaking the news online, Russell said: ‘Earlier this year our family changed forever when our beautiful son, 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 through unimaginable grief and gave us support when we needed it most.
Russell Howard with his wife Cerys… the comedian has revealed the death of his son, who died shortly after Cerys gave birth to him earlier this year
The comedian, 46, shared the devastating news on his Instagram page on Friday morning and thanked the National Health Service for their support
‘We were assigned a bereavement midwife, Lauren, who had experienced a similar tragedy.
‘After losing her own baby, Lauren retrained as a midwife so she could help other families going through what she had gone 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 bed, which meant my wife and I were able to spend precious hours with our beautiful boy. We were able to hold him, talk to him and tell him how much we loved him.
‘Those hours are among the fondest 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 facing the same devastating circumstances.
‘And that is why we are setting up the Felix Foundation in memory of Felix. The foundation aims to alleviate the needs of parents, siblings and other close relatives affected by miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related grief by:
‘Support the additional training of midwives in specialist bereavement care, through annual grants to give them access to resources such as consultancy qualifications.
‘Funding resources to provide emotional support and practical assistance.
Breaking the news online, Russell said: ‘Earlier this year our family was changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, passed away shortly after birth’
‘The provision or financing of dedicated rooms, facilities, equipment and resources in hospitals, maternity wards, neonatal units and other appropriate healthcare settings, to support the care, well-being and dignity of babies and their families.
“Providing information, guidance, signage and other resources to affected families.
‘Raising awareness of late miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, newborn loss and associated grief, and the support needs of affected families.’
In his statement, Russell revealed that 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 February 8, 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.
“Each of these incredible artists gives 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 the world to our family.”
He concludes: ‘The Felix Foundation is named after our beautiful son. We miss him dearly every day, but we take some comfort in knowing that his name will stand for kindness, compassion and laughter, and that his legacy can help other families through the darkest moments of their lives.”
“We would love for you to come along and help us make Felix’s legacy something very special.”
Russell is currently touring the UK with Don’t Tell The Algorithm, following a performance at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2026.
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 son in 2024.
If you have been affected by this story, please call Child Bereavement UK on 0800 028 8840 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or email helpline@childbereavementuk.org
