From his days as a maths teacher to becoming the wise-cracking host of shows such as the BAFTAs and the BBC's Weakest Link, Romesh Ranganathan has established himself as one of Britain's most beloved TV personalities with his signature deadpan wit and self-deprecating jokes. Now 46, Romesh Ranganathan's journey to stardom was anything but smooth. He has spoken candidly about the hardships he faced in his youth, including how his seemingly stable family life unravelled, leading him to drop out of school, reports OK!.
With roots tracing back to Sri Lanka, Romesh's parents settled in the UK after his father completed his accountancy qualifications. Once living a "comfortable" existence in a lovely home and enjoying a somewhat "spoilt" upbringing with his brother, Romesh witnessed a drastic turning point when domestic bliss turned sour, remarking that "it all went a bit wrong".
Penning an open and emotional narrative for the Big Issue, Romesh attributed the downward spiral of his early life to the dissolution of his parents' marriage, which cascaded into a series of misfortunes: "My parents' marriage broke up, our house got repossessed and my dad ended up going to prison. This all happened very, very quickly. It was a struggle. My mum found out my dad had been messing around. He fell into financial difficulty so we ended up getting our house taken away."
He shared his experience of living in a B&B for over a year with his mum and brother while his dad was serving time in prison. Romesh referred to this period as "insane", transitioning from being "super comfortable" to "everything falling away."
Romesh faced further challenges at school, having earned a scholarship to a private institution but had to leave due to his father's inability to keep up with the fees. The comedian confessed: "So I just left. I didn't say goodbye; I didn't want anyone to know. Looking back, moving to the local comp gave me a lot of the values I have today."
However, things eventually turned around for Romesh. He now enjoys a successful career in TV and comedy, with a steady stream of work coming his way – although he sadly shared his struggles with mental health.
One of his most notable roles is hosting BBC 's iconic gameshow Weakest Link, which he started presenting in 2021. He also hosts a morning show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturdays.
The Weakest Link will be back on Saturday, 28 September with a comedians special on BBC One. Romesh will be joined by Angela Barnes, Phil Wang, Josh Pugh, Laura Smyth, Ria Lina, Maisie Adam, Iain Stirling and Geoff Norcott as they compete to be the strongest link and win money for their chosen charity.