Comedian's Awkward Moment with Scientific Legend
Comedian Russell Howard has shared the painfully awkward story of his failed attempt to make the late physicist Stephen Hawking laugh, revealing his efforts were completely drowned out by fellow comedian Jimmy Carr's distinctive hysterics. The 45-year-old comedian recounted the cringe-worthy moment during a Friday appearance on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X.
The Pressure of Making Hawking Laugh
Howard explained he felt 'very conscious' about trying to elicit laughter from the renowned scientist after hearing about Hawking's legendary sense of humour. He described the unique challenge of engaging with someone who communicated through a speech synthesiser, noting that anything less than a 'big laugh' wouldn't be worth the physicist's effort.
'You're trying to look over the side in case he's tapping something that says, "Can we get rid of this guy?"' Howard joked about the experience. He emphasised that because of Hawking's physical limitations, the scientist wouldn't produce a simple 'ha' but would either deliver a proper laugh or nothing at all.
Jimmy Carr Steals the Show
The comedian's carefully planned moment was completely sabotaged by another famous laugh in the room. 'Well, it's drowned out by the fact that you can hear another laugh, Jimmy Carr, in this room going, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"' Howard revealed. 'So nobody can get a laugh in edgeways!'
The conversation began when host Chris Moyles mentioned his own experience of wanting to hear Hawking laugh at a party, setting the stage for Howard's embarrassing revelation about the ill-fated encounter.
Hawking's Remarkable Legacy
Stephen Hawking, who passed away in March 2018 at age 76, had defied medical expectations for decades after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963 when he was just 21. Despite being given only two years to live at the time of his diagnosis, he became the world's most famous scientist since Albert Einstein.
The theoretical physicist made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of space, time and black holes while communicating through his iconic electronic voice system. His computer-generated voice became one of the most instantly recognisable in the world, making Howard's attempt to connect through laughter particularly memorable, if unsuccessful.
Listen to The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X weekdays from 6:30am to 10am and on Global Player.
