Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has become a familiar face on television, but things haven’t always been easy for the star – with one Christmas in particular proving tough
Romesh Ranganathan has had quite an impressive career journey. Known for hosting shows like The Weakest Link – which was back on TV on Christmas Day – and events such as the BAFTA Awards, Romesh’s path hasn’t always been smooth. At 46, he recalls a challenging time in 2011 when he decided to leave his teaching job to pursue comedy full-time, only for his life to be thrown into chaos by his father’s sudden death due to a heart attack during his last days as a teacher. Suddenly jobless with a family to support and tasked with sorting out his late father’s finances, Romesh also had to keep his pub, the Prince of Wales in East Grinstead, running.
In a chat with The i Paper, Romesh shared: “It turned out my dad’s financial situation was a complete house of cards. He was mortgaged up to the eyeballs, the pub wasn’t making as much money as we thought, it was a real mess. And in hindsight, I went full time [with comedy] a bit early. I wasn’t regularly getting work and my Dad passing away meant I wasn’t hustling, trying to get more. The combination meant we were broke. For a while, we couldn’t pay the bills.”
Just a week on from the passing of his father, Romesh bravely took to the stage at Up the Creek in Greenwich for some stand-up comedy. Desperate for cash with Christmas just around the corner, he faced a tough crowd on that fateful night. Some among them hurled racial taunts his way; still, Romesh powered through his performance without “acknowledging” the jeers directed at him from a man in the front row, reports OK!
Despite stumbling blocks early on, Romesh’s comedic journey has seen an impressive upward trajectory. One of his crowning achievements is taking the reins of BBC’s legendary game show Weakest Link in 2021. Additionally, you can catch him brightening Saturday mornings with his show on BBC Radio 2. This talented comic’s mantlepiece boasts two BAFTA TV Awards – one for Best Features through The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, and another for Best Entertainment Performance via The Ranganation. Off-screen, Romesh is dedicated to his role as a loving husband to his wife Leesa and as a devoted father to their three children.
