Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has revealed that his three sons have been subjected to racist abuse at school. Ranganathan, 48, shared that while the incidents are not frequent, his sons have encountered racist comments and slurs, similar to the racism he experienced as a teenager.
Ranganathan recounted an incident where one of his sons was speaking to a girl at school, and another child commented, "I don't know why you're bothering to chat to her. You're going to end up marrying your cousin." He also stated that his son Alex has been called a racial slur while walking around school.
The comedian, who shares his sons Alex, Theo, and Charlie with his wife Leesa, suggested that parents are often the source of such behavior. He expressed frustration, thinking, "you're racist" when he encounters parents whose children have exhibited racist conduct.
However, Ranganathan also advised against overreacting to racial slurs, stating that it is a mistake to "supercharge it." He explained that allowing a slur to immediately provoke an intense reaction gives the perpetrator power. While acknowledging the need to react to racism, he emphasized that he does not want his children to resort to violence as an immediate response.
Ranganathan also shared personal experiences with racism from his youth. He recalled being called slurs frequently and an incident where a student spat on him as he left school. During his university years, he was attacked by skinheads outside a club.
Ranganathan's mother, Shanthi, emigrated from Sri Lanka to Crawley, West Sussex, with his father. The comedian has previously spoken about his family's financial struggles, including losing their home after his father was imprisoned for fraud. The family spent a year and a half in temporary bed-and-breakfast accommodation while awaiting council housing.
Before his career in comedy and television, Ranganathan worked as a math teacher. He met his wife while both were employed at a school in Crawley. His career has since expanded to include roles on panel shows, hosting game shows, and a West End stage debut. He is also set to appear in the second series of "The Celebrity Traitors."