Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is beloved for his stand-up and presenting gigs, having won audiences over with his appearances on Rob & Romesh Vs…, A League of Their Own and The Weakest Link.
Alongside his podcast, The Romesh Ranganathan Show, the comedian's latest TV venture sees him appear on Prime Video's hit show Last One Laughing, where ten comedians go head-to-head in a bid to make each other laugh.
© Prime VideoFor season two, Romesh faces the likes of David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr and reigning season one champion Bob Mortimer.
While Romesh tends to keep his family life out of the spotlight, he has referenced them in his podcast and stand-up routines over the years. Read on to find out what we know…
Romesh Ranganathan's life off-screen
While he's best known for his stand-up comedy, Romesh was a mathematics teacher in Crawley before breaking into television, appearing on panel shows such as A League of Their Own, The Ranganation and The Weakest Link.
He also hosts his own game show, Romesh Ranganathan's Parents' Evening, alongside his mother, Shanthi Ranganathan.
Shanthi also appears on Romesh's podcast, The Romesh Ranganathan Show, where she sends voice note questions to celebrity guests. She moved to Crawley, West Sussex, from Sri Lanka at the age of 19 with Romesh's father. When his father ran into financial difficulties, Romesh's parents separated.
"Our house was repossessed and we lived in a B&B until we got a council house," Romesh told Marie Claire. "It was a struggle, but Mum just got her head down, found cleaning jobs and never complained. I owe her a lot, so I now do everything she says."
Who is Romesh Ranganathan's wife?
While Romesh lives a relatively public life, his wife, Leesa, prefers to stay out of the spotlight. The pair met in 2009 while they were both working as teachers in Crawley, and have since tied the knot. In summer 2023, the pair celebrated their vow renewal in a summer party with their closest friends.
"I'd say my wife finds me being recognised… she's quite shy and she can't understand why anybody would want a photo with the thing that sits on the sofa," he told The Standard.
© GettyMeet Romesh Ranganathan's children
Romesh and Leesa are parents to three sons: Theo, Alex and Charlie. Despite Romesh's success, the teenagers aren't particularly fussed about their father's fame.
"I think my kids are at that stage where they find everything I do embarrassing," he told The Standard. "Whenever I'm doing something cool, or what they consider to be cool, they don't understand why anybody else would want to do that with me."
Even when musician Loyle Carner appeared on the podcast, Romesh's eldest, a big fan, wasn't impressed.
"When I said to him we've got Loyle Carner on the podcast, he said: 'Why would he want to do that with you?' It was almost rather than having increased respect for me, he had slightly less respect for Loyle Carner."
