Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has shared that his three sons have been subjected to racist abuse at school. Ranganathan, 48, disclosed on his podcast, "Wolf and Owl," that while the incidents are not frequent, his children have received comments and slurs.
He recounted an instance where one of his sons was told by another child, "I don't know why you're bothering to chat to her. You're going to end up marrying your cousin." Another incident involved one of his sons, Alex, being called a racial slur while walking around school.
Ranganathan suggested that the behavior of children can sometimes stem from attitudes learned at home, noting that he often forms a negative opinion of parents when he hears about such incidents. He also reflected on his own past experiences with racism, stating that he encountered slurs frequently during his youth. He recalled an incident where a classmate spat on him after school, and at university, he was attacked by skinheads outside a club.
While acknowledging the severity of racism, Ranganathan also advised against giving such incidents excessive power. He expressed that he does not want his children to react with immediate violence when confronted with racism, emphasizing a desire for them to manage their reactions rather than be consumed by them.
Ranganathan, who shares his sons Alex, Theo, and Charlie with his wife Leesa, a drama teacher, was born in Crawley, West Sussex. His mother, Shanthi, moved to the UK from Sri Lanka with his father when she was 19. The comedian previously shared details about his upbringing, including the financial difficulties his family faced when his father was imprisoned for fraud, leading to the repossession of their home and the family residing in a bed-and-breakfast for over a year.
Before his career in entertainment, Ranganathan worked as a math teacher. He met his wife while both were employed at a school in Crawley. His path to fame included stand-up comedy, television roles on panel shows, hosting "The Weakest Link" since 2021, and presenting shows on Radio 2. He also made his West End stage debut last year.