The Romesh Ranganathan Show

What does Shanthi really want this Christmas? Romesh is joined by Shanthi for a festive episode full of gifts, jokes, surprise guests and the kind of family conversations that only happen at Christmas.  A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 01:05 Shanthi’s favourite Christmas song 03:44 Christmas wishes 06:07 A surprise guest 07:45 Some gift giving 10:00 Shanthi reads us Yo Mama jokes 12:55 Dinesh updates us 14:10 Shanthi’s Christmas demands 18:53 Romesh shows some appreciation 19:41 Is wiping a dogs bum necessary? 22:09 Playing Christmas games 28:00 A Christmas message from Dinesh --- Send us YOUR questions and dilemmas! Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@rangabee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Whatsapp: 07731623355 --- Subscribe for new episodes! Follow us on socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/theromeshshow⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is comedy music the hardest art form to perfect? Comedian, actor and Oscar-winning musician Bret McKenzie — one half of the legendary Flight of the Conchords — joins Romesh to unpack life at the funny end of songwriting. From winning awards for work “Disney didn’t even like” on The Muppets, to touring his “serious” new album Freak Out City, Bret shares stories from the road, recalls his unexpected appearance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and throws himself into a UK vs New Zealand Marmite-eating challenge. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 03:11 Hype men gone wrong 06:05 Bret's new tour 11:45 Marmite: UK vs New Zealand  19:58 Flight of the Conchords 23:00 Work changing with time 27:05 Comedy songwriting 28:44 Touring the new album: Freak Out City 33:33 Writing music for film 39:07 That's not cool dad 42:00 Misquoted 50:22 Lord Of The Rings Extra 57:51 Shanthi’s question for Bret 59:41 Oscar Win: Man Or Muppet 1:05:45 Oasis Exclusive  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Shanthi and Romesh help listeners with advice on family dilemmas and resolve some of their own – covering everything from coming out, to following your partner abroad for love. They don’t always agree! A Ranga Bee production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Shanthi's Nails 01:34 Shanthi's Favourite Sitcoms 05:53 Stand Up To Cancer 06:26 Listener Dilemmas 09:40 Unusual Food Combos 14:03 Advice On Coming Out To Family 17:31 The Naughty List Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Multi award–winning writer, actor and director, Stephen Merchant joins Romesh for a hilarious conversation about his career. They discuss how The Office reshaped comedy, why Tim and Dawn still land, Stephen’s shift into drama, his quest for “flow state," and why he regrets always playing the awkward guy. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 02:10 Chat GPT vs Stephen's BAFTAS 04:20 Do Awards Mean Anything? 07:45 Mark Hamill’s Trousers 09:25 Teacher Trauma 16:20 Tiny Grand Piano & Music Regrets 18:30 The Flow State 24:50 How The Office Changed Comedy 28:33 Tim & Dawn 31:34 Letting The Office Evolve 34:49 Goodbye June With Kate Winslet 38:06 Shanthi’s Question & Being The Awkward Guy 42:00 Stallone, Woody Allen & The Danger of Being Typecast 44:00 The Walking Dead 46:20 Logan With Richard E. Grant 50:00 Ambitions & American Success 58:00 Misquoted 01:04:30 Being 6’7 Tall 01:07:20 Stephen’s Adult EXCLUSIVE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Shanthi turns on the Christmas lights and gets in the festive spirit. She talks to Romesh about why she won't let her newfound popularity get to her head, gives some hilarious baby sleep-training advice, and revisits a sore spot in Romesh's childhood: garlic curry.  Plus Romesh and Shanthi host a watch along, revisiting the best Christmas movie classics with Sky Cinema and the Friday Film Club #ad. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 00:17 Shanthi Turns On The Christmas Lights 03:27 Shanthi’s Cooking 5:50 Garlic and Bullying 7:34 Shanthi On Fame 9:26 Listener Questions: Parenting 18:00 Romesh's Superman Delusion  20:13 Shanthi’s Life Advice to Romesh 22:38 Sky Cinema 23:10 Shanthi in Panto 24:55 Christmas Spirit ---- 📺 Subscribe for new episodes! 📲 Follow us on socials: https://linktr.ee/theromeshshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian, actor and writer Tim Key joins Romesh for an off-kilter conversation about bombing on panel shows, the moment Susie Dent had to whisper “it’s fine”, a failed Taskmaster reunion in Cologne, and the wrist-breaking dangers of comedians’ football. He also gives the scoop on his new role in The Office “spin-off” The Paper, the LA spiral that led to his latest poetry collection, and the emotional side of fear, fame and performing. Plus, Romesh and the team blindside Tim with a phaal curry… sweat, tears, regret. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 01:22 Anti-Podcast? 01:51 BAFTA Confusion 04:45 Career Comparisons 06:50 Romesh's Mock The Week Flop 10:40 Susie Dent Whispers "It's fine" 14:23 Taskmaster Bromance 15:46 The Abandoned Cologne Trip 21:32 Curry Fanatic 23:20 Phaal: "That's Quite Spicy Actually" 27:07 The Ballad of Wallace Island 36:45 Tim's Football Injury 41:29 The Office "Spin-off": The Paper 47:26 Shanthi's Question for Tim 50:01 Tim Key's New Book: LA Baby 52:00 "LA is Tough" 56:30 Tim Key On Stand Up Comedy 59:00 The Reluctant Landlord 1:04:10 Is It OK To Do Accents? 1:05:30 Misquoted  1:10:30 The Weakest Link 1:13:15 Poem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Romesh and Shanthi are back discussing everything from dentist anxiety to the Ranganathan name to Taskmaster. Plus, Romesh goes in detail to explain to Shanthi how a play works... A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 01:14 Shanthi’s been ‘gifted' 02:55 Shanthi watches Saltburn 04:46 Shanthi turns down a pickle 06:00 Listener Dilemmas 07:25 Ben guesses Shanthi’s age 08:45 Explaining how a play works 10:55 Shanthi’s Advice 12:43 How to be a good son 15:40 More listeners call in 20:39 Romesh reveals his name on his birth certificate 21:53 All together different 23:48 Romesh On Taskmaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it feel like when your song goes viral? Sophie Ellis-Bextor sits down with Romesh for a sharp, funny and open chat that jumps from stealing a Grease DVD from Prince Edward’s office to becoming TikTok’s disco queen thanks to Saltburn with Murder on the Dancefloor. Sophie also talks about performing 148 gigs in a year, living on a tour bus with her husband and brother, owning the decision to name her new album Perimenopop and the way she deals with online trolls. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 0.00 - Intro 2:18 - Sophie’s Gift 4:46 - Tour Life 9:55 - Viral Success 12:10 - Saltburn 15:25 - Shanthi’s Question 17:58 - Social Media Hate 24:18 - Embracing Age 30:28 - Feeling Bold 37:20 - TikTok Pressure 39:54 - Creativity 41:00 - Strictly Experience 43:45 - Misquoted 48:45 - Attitude to AI 49:22 - Famous Family 54:54 - Royal Theft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Romesh and Shanthi return for the Thursday episode… and it goes off the rails fast. Gen-Z slang tests, dating philosophy, bedtime arguments, erotic dreams involving comedians, vibrators named “Romesh”, and the mystery of when horse riding becomes acceptable on a first date.  A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.  00:00 Welcome back with Shanthi  01:49 Jack Whitehall recap  02:14 Gen Z / Gen Alpha slang test  08:07 Listener dilemma: bedtime clash  12:39 Erotic dream dilemma  17:53 Shanti’s first-date rules  24:37 Educating Yorkshire  28:16 Shanti’s Thursday advice  Send us YOUR questions and dilemmas!  Email: podcast@rangabee.com  Whatsapp: 07731 623355 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are Hollywood auditions really like behind the scenes? Jack Whitehall is in the studio with Romesh for a fast, funny and surprisingly candid chat that jumps from his early stand-up days and cringe-inducing “Danny Dyer” phase to his darkest acting role yet in Malice. He talks about prepping to play a manipulative villain, juggling that mindset with new-dad life, fangirling over The Rock on Jungle Cruise, blowing auditions, and navigating the circuit as the posh kid everyone expected to hate. They also get into panel shows, parenting, their unexpectedly famous parents and why teenagers insist stand-up is “dead”. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.

 00:01 Intro 02:06 Jack on winning the Amuse moose 04:20 Jack and Romesh meeting in the early career days 06:53 Jack’s acting beginnings 07:45 Romesh has a gift for Jack 12:20 New TV Show Malice 14:42 The difference between acting and comedy 16:43 Balancing family and professional life 21:33 Jungle Cruise Movie 22:24 Fangirling over Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson 24:38 What’s the end goal? 26:15 Auditioning 32:57 A question from Shanthi 34:11 Being posh in comedy 38:05 Working in stand up 40:43 League of their own 44:05 Touring and time off 44:42 Comedy and parenting 52:25 Panto stories 56:12 Working with parents 1:01:54 Jack & Romesh play ‘Misquoted' 1:04:53 Jack’s weirdest experience of his life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices