Who is Romesh Ranganathan? All to know about the Radio 2 star and Actor.

Romesh Ranganathan, born on March 27, 1978, is a British comedian, presenter, and actor known for his deadpan and self-deprecating style of comedy.

Here’s all you need to know about the Radio 2 star and actor.

Early Life

Born Jonathan Romesh Ranganathan in Crawley to Sri Lankan Tamil parents, Ranganathan was raised Hindu. He faced childhood challenges, including an eye infection that left him with a drooping eyelid and lazy eye.

He attended Reigate Grammar School and later Hazelwick School before studying mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London. Before entering comedy, he worked as a mathematics teacher.

Career

Ranganathan began his comedy career while teaching, and soon gained popularity for his unique style. He appeared on various television comedy panel shows and presented programmes like Judge Romesh and The Ranganation.

He also starred in travel documentaries like The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan.

In 2018, he joined A League of Their Own as a regular panellist and published his autobiography, Straight Outta Crawley. He won BAFTA TV Awards for Best Features in 2020 and Best Entertainment Performance in 2021.

Additionally, he hosted the revival of The Weakest Link in 2021.

Ranganathan also hosts a radio show called For The Love of Hip-Hop on BBC Radio 2, which won an Audio and Radio Industry Award in 2023. In April 2024, he took over as the host of the lunchtime Saturday BBC Radio 2 show.

Personal Life

Ranganathan resides in Crawley with his wife Leesa, whom he met while working as a teacher. They have three sons together.

He discovered that his first name is actually Jonathan, with Romesh being his middle name, due to his Sri Lankan immigrant parents’ concern about his name sounding “too ethnic” for job applications.

Ranganathan transitioned from being a vegetarian to a vegan in 2013 and supports Arsenal FC. He is known for his passion for tattoos, which feature images representing his sons, Richard Pryor, Nas, the Roots, the flag of Albania, and the Autobot logo.