Romesh Ranganathan, a BAFTA-winning comedian and broadcaster, shares his journey from math teacher to comedy star. He delves into his cultural identity and familial struggles, illuminating how these experiences shape his humor. With candid anecdotes, he reflects on early career challenges and the importance of family support. Music plays a key role too, as he connects with hip hop's emotional depth and fond memories linked to his mother's cooking. Romesh also ponders philosophical themes from 'The Life of Pi,' weaving together nostalgia for food, music, and family.
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Stage vs Off-Stage Persona
Romesh feels he puts on an act off stage rather than on stage.
His stand-up is unfiltered honesty mixed with comic exaggeration, resonating when saying slightly nervous truths.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Father's Imprisonment Impact
Romesh's father was arrested for fraud and imprisoned when Romesh was a teenager.
This family crisis deeply affected them financially and emotionally during Romesh's youth.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Dad's Early Comedy Support
Romesh's dad supported his stand-up career by attending every gig and providing honest feedback.
He owned pubs and helped Romesh put on shows there, showing deep early encouragement.
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Published in 2001, 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel tells the story of Piscine Molitor 'Pi' Patel, a teenage Indian boy from Pondicherry. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with four wild animals: an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. As the story unfolds, Pi must use his knowledge of animal behavior and his eclectic religious beliefs, which include Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, to survive. The novel explores themes of spirituality, the conflict between man and nature, and the power of storytelling. Pi's journey is a metaphor for how one practices and maintains faith during life's challenges, and it raises questions about the nature of reality and how it is perceived and told[1][3][4].
Romesh Ranganathan is a comedian and BAFTA-winning broadcaster who has been a fixture on British television screens for the past decade. In addition to his TV shows and stand-up tours he presents the Weakest Link on BBC One, Radio Two’s Saturday morning show and another weekly Radio Two programme in which he shares his passion for hip hop music.
Romesh was born in Crawley in West Sussex where he still lives. His parents came to the UK from Sri Lanka in 1975. His father Ranga was an accountant who spent time in prison for fraud during Romesh’s teenage years. At that point Romesh and his brother were brought up by their mother Sivashanthini – known as Shanthi – who has appeared alongside Romesh on several of his television programmes.
In 2001 Romesh became a maths teacher at the school where he’d previously been a pupil. A few years later he started taking part in open mic evenings where he developed his skills as a stand-up. In 2011 he quit his teaching job to pursue a career in comedy.
He has spoken candidly about his own mental health and in 2023 he became a patron of the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).
Romesh lives in Crawley with his wife Leesa and their three sons.
DISC ONE: Lose Yourself - Eminem
DISC TWO: Let’s Hear it for the Boy - Deniece Williams
DISC THREE: The Power of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
DISC FOUR: Through the Wire - Kanye West
DISC FIVE: Broken Clocks - SZA
DISC SIX: Back at One - Brian McKnight
DISC SEVEN: I Wish - Stevie Wonder
DISC EIGHT: Bring the Noise - Public Enemy
BOOK CHOICE: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
LUXURY ITEM: An unlimited supply of aubergine curry
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Back at One - Brian McKnight
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
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