Episodes
What was Shanthi’s life like before the podcast?
In this Thursday episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Shanthi becomes the guest as Romesh talks to her about her childhood in Sri Lanka, meeting his dad, moving to the UK and the difficult years that followed.
She opens up about losing her father at a young age, the freedom she found after leaving Sri Lanka and the financial struggles the family faced while trying to rebuild their lives in the UK.
We also celebrate the team hitting 100,000 subscribers on YouTube with the arrival of the classic Silver Plaque. Plus: thoughts on Aziz...
What happens when one of the world’s biggest comedians swaps Hollywood for a flip phone and a quieter life?
Comedian, writer, actor and director Aziz Ansari joins Romesh Ranganathan for a wide-ranging conversation about stand-up, identity, culture, creativity and getting older.
From selling out Madison Square Garden to creating one of the most renowned Netflix comedy-dramas, Master of None, Aziz reflects on the pressure of chasing great work. He discusses his career from starting in stand-up, to Parks And Recreation, to directing his new film Good Fortune starring Keanu Reeves and Seth Ro...
Can we fix the email problem?
This week's Thursday episode is an Email Special, where we finally catch up with some of your unanswered messages. From family feuds over cats and awkward sex talks to relationship arguments, the pair call people out, offer advice and revisit the infamous “tortoise eating your ding dong” debate.
Romesh also addresses complaints about eating on the podcast (don't worry we mute him) and Shanthi gets duped by AI and TikTok. Plus there's a failed attempt to pitch to M&S.
With Shanthi being spikey and Romesh getting roasted it's one not to miss.
A Ranga Bee P...
What does the man behind Blackadder actually think about modern comedy?
Ben Elton, multi award-winning comedian writer, novelist, director and lyricist joins Romesh to discuss his new autobiography, 'What Have I Done?’' and share with us how he went from being a 10-year old auditioning for amateur theatre, to writing some of the most-loved British sitcoms including Blackadder, The Young Ones and more.
From going to University with Rick Mayall, getting the call to work with Queen and how the We Will Rock You Musical really came about, to what happened when Blackadder got cancelled and why ...
What happens when you realise you’ve accidentally ignored 632 listener emails?
Mystery solved and an apology is in order from the team in this Thursday's episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, after finding out they have been checking the wrong inbox the entire time.
This week Romesh and Shanthi team up again to answer and advise on your dilemmas. Covering topics from aging, learning English and impressing family members to some unlicensed, dubious medical advice from Shanthi herself.
There’s also a chaotic “Freaky Friday” conversation about swapping lives for 24 hours, an unexpec...
What is the future of comedy and podcasts?
Comedian, actor and podcaster Adam Buxton joins Romesh for a thoughtful and funny conversation about creativity, aging and the strange evolution of podcasting.
Adam reflects on his career from The Adam and Joe Show, to music, to building one of the UK’s most respected podcasts. From working with Louis Theroux to becoming podcast competitors, he discusses why he prefers audio over video, even as the industry shifts toward clips, algorithms and “maximising reach”.
They also chat about the reality of getting older in the public eye and why chasing ...
Who would direct Shanthi's documentary about her life?
Romesh and Shanthi are back in the studio, discussing Miriam Margolyes, documentaries and whether Shanthi would make her own all about arriving in the UK in 1975 to navigating culture shock, kindness from strangers, and the realities of starting over.
They also tackle your listener dilemmas with some sound advice, from issues dealing with mother-in-laws, parenting and superstitions. And for once Rom and Shanthi agree!
Plus: We ask the team who is better to work with Karl Pilkington or Romesh?
A Ranga Bee Production in partn...
What happens when you put Miriam Margolyes and Romesh in a room together? Surprisingly brilliant life advice and a mild flirtation...
BAFTA-winning actor, author and national treasure Miriam Margolyes joins Romesh Ranganathan for one of the funniest, frankest and most unpredictable episodes yet.
Miriam reflects on her extraordinary career, from Blackadder and Harry Potter to her deep love of Charles Dickens, theatre and live audiences. She also discusses her new documentary, 'Miriam Margolye Made Me Me', her upcoming book 'Miriam’s Full English', life on Cameo, and why getting older h...
What do you get Shanthi Ranganathan for her birthday when she already has it all?
It’s a special birthday episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, as Romesh and the team celebrate Shanthi with gifts, an unexpected charity donation, and a chaotic game of Would You Rather?
From Shanthi’s thoughts on dating later in life, to questions about drug use, and heated debates over Titanic, cats and parrots, this birthday special goes exactly where you’d expect and absolutely nowhere you’d predict...
Plus, Romesh and Shanthi tackle your listener dilemmas with their usual mix of questionable ad...
Can you force creativity or does it only come when it’s ready?
Double Grammy Award winning artist Thundercat joins Romesh Ranganathan for a wide-ranging conversation about music, art, style and finding your own sound.
From Thundercat’s journey in music, growing up around musicians, to becoming a solo artist and finding his niche, they discuss how his sound developed and how working with Flying Lotus changed everything. He also touches on creating during trauma and why he believes creativity cannot be rushed. And they discuss the potential of a new album...
Plus, a question from Shanthi on...
Is Romesh a sex icon?
Romesh Ranganathan and his mum Shanthi are back answering listener dilemmas, including a tricky parenting question and rating the team's attractiveness.They get into Shanthi’s latest TikTok Shop discovery (and the mystery of a stolen delivery), her thoughts on health trends and supplements, and why Romesh is apparently failing basic son duties.
As always expect a healthy amount of roasting, form Romesh's fashion to his bum.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform.
00:00 Intro
03:23 Shanthi calls out Romesh
05:10 Sunday scaries
07:20 Morning ritu...
How does someone go from medicine to comedy?
Comedian Harry Hill joins Romesh Ranganathan for a funny and insightful conversation about stand-up, originality and staying relevant in comedy.
Harry reflects on leaving a career in medicine to pursue his comedy dream, touring with Tim Vine, and how he developed his completely unique style. They also share on their comedy influences, from Jack Dee to Sean Lock, discuss the pressure of writing new material, and why struggling on stage is part of the process.
From TV Burp, to touring, to David Letterman and making it in the US, they cover...
Can Shanthi remember her own quotes?
Romesh is joined by Shanthi for another episode, where they play a game of Misquoted specifically tailored to Shanthi's unhinged statements. They also discuss best friends, tackle your listener dilemmas and rank some of Shanthi's TV favourites.
Plus: Romesh gives us some of his show recommendations and we revisit who helped Shanthi with infamous list.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform.
00:00 Intro
01:40 Does Shanthi watch the show?
03:25 Misquoted with Shanthi
10:30 A question about holiday costs
20:40 Shanthi ranks her favourite sh...
Can you have a successful comedy career and a balanced family life?
Comedian and writer Sara Pascoe joins Romesh Ranganathan to talk about touring, parenting and why stand-up comedy can make balancing family life surprisingly difficult.
They get into Sara's early beginnings in comedy, wanting to be an actor and how the stand-up landscape has changed over the years. Expect stories of people pleasing in the entertainment industry, Sara's writing process (after winning the Dame Jilly Cooper Award) and her new travel series Zero Stars with Roisin Conaty, where the pair travel to some of t...
Can Shanthi read minds?
In this episode, Romesh and mum Shanthi talk about literally everything. From receiving negative comments, how to handle nightmares, Romesh's vaping problem and the chances that life is all just a simulation.
They also answer listener questions, giving their best advice for your dilemmas.
As always, it’s chaotic, honest and slightly unhinged.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:55 Shanthi gets upset about the comments
04:45 Shanthi recieves a gift
05:54 A listener has a dreamy question for Romesh
07:15 Shanthi’s ni...
How did James McAvoy become one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood?
Actor and director James McAvoy joins Romesh Ranganathan for a very special episode talking about acting, accents and the difference from Hollywood to home.
James talks about accidentally getting into acting, why his philosophy is always “story first” and how he approaches building characters. Plus his skill at mastering accents, training as a pastry chef, bad reviews and being a part of the X‑Men family.
We also discuss James' new film and his directorial debut, California Schemin'.
And as always, a question fr...
What does Shanthi really think about gentle parenting, ice baths and calorie counting?
In this episode, Romesh and mum, Shanthi take on a brand new segment: Shanthi’s Hot Takes. Nothing is safe from her opinions on WhatsApp and supermarkets to gentle parenting, air fryers and the modern obsession with ice baths.
From stories from the team, to listener questions and some very solid Ranganathan advice, be sure not to miss it.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.
00:00 Intro
01:59 Shanthi on hats
03:25 Ben’s story
05:43 Shanthi’s Hot Takes
14:20 Questions...
From sitcom Dad to Breaking Bad, how did Bryan transform into Walter White?
Bryan Cranston joins Romesh Ranganathan for a wide-ranging conversation about acting, creativity and the career pivots that changed his life.
Bryan talks about bringing Arthur Miller’s All My Sons to London, the acting lessons he’s learned over decades on stage and screen and why observing people is the key to building unforgettable characters. He also reflects on precarious nature of the industry, landing the role of Hal in Malcolm in the Middle, nearly losing the part and why the show still means so much to ...
Romesh doesn’t like celebrating his birthday… unfortunately the team had other plans.
In this chaotic birthday special, Romesh is joined once again by brother Dinesh and mum Shanthi, discussing everything from family pranking history and gardening to debating who would survive prison time and how.
You can expect lots of birthday fun, lots of push back from Romesh, some questionable birthday gifts and a bizarre role play.
Plus: Some Tamil and wedding song recommendations and Romesh being a birthday diva.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.
00:00 Intro
0...
Is this the best gift the show has ever given a guest? A self-proclaimed "enthusiastic novice", Tom Allen is here to chat about his new podcast Pottering, his debut novel Common Decency and why we apparently should absolutely not be wearing belts with waistcoats.
This episode in the studio brings you everything from questions with Shanthi, gardening tips, stand-up stories , a game of Misquoted and some very strong opinions on men's style.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.
00:00 Intro
02:05 Cushion conspiracy
02:50 Wearing suits and fashion advice
04:05 ...
Would Shanthi have an AI boyfriend? Find out in the brand new epsiode where Romesh and Shanthi cover everything from grief role play to the pros and cons of AI and Rom's ChatGPT history.
They get into everything from the importance of maths and biology, desert island dilemmas, the danger of tortoises and a chaotic round of snog, marry, avoid featuring some very questionable fictional choices.
As always: unexpected, unfiltered, and impossible to predict where it’ll go next.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.
00:00 Intro
02:30 Shanthi on maths
05:08 Tryi...
Should we be worried about AI? Mathematician and presenter Hannah Fry joins Romesh to talk about her new show 'AI Confidential with Hannah Fry' and the surprising ways maths and technology shape our lives.
From Hannah’s work explaining science to wider audiences, her podcast The Rest Is Science, to Grief Tech. This episode explores the strange questions maths can actually answer, from whether you could theoretically be bored to death to how to cool down your car. The conversation moves from teaching maths and traumatising students with numbers to the bigger questions around AI, technology ...
How much do you really want to know about your parents' holiday antics? Shanthi shares far too much, leaving Romesh desperate to "edit" certain images out of his brain. They also talk about this week’s guest, legendary documentary maker Louis Theroux, as Shanthi reveals the surprisingly dark topics she’d cover if she followed in his footsteps.
Plus, Romesh hits back at criticism of his glasses – and Shanthi recalls the moment he rang her to say he’d "made it" in comedy.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.
00:00 Intro
01:30 Glasses criticism
04:28 Louis Ther...
What do toxic masculinity, a lasagne obsession, and a Seat Alhambra have in common? Louis Theroux joins Romesh to draw the line between his on-camera persona and life at home. They revisit some of Louis’ most infamous documentary moments, the craft behind them, and the interview regrets he has looking back.
Louis also explains why he’s drawn to spending time with people who hold extreme views, including in his latest film Inside the Manosphere, exploring misogyny and the lure of wealth in the post-Andrew Tate world with figures like HSTikkyTokky.
Along the way he reflects on memorable enc...
How many times can you trick your mum into saying the F-word? Romesh annoys Shanthi with terrible impressions of kids' film characters and makes his case for why the Toy Story trilogy is one of the greatest in cinematic history. They role-play a listener’s plea about how to kindly deal with smelly colleagues — and how to cope with a spoilt hen-do surprise (do you fake it?). Plus, an uncomfortably long conversation about the specifics of going to the toilet.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
00:00 Intro
01:27 Shanthi loves Tom Davis
03:22 Paddington
04:37 Kids films im...
Comedian and actor Tom Davis joins Romesh for a proper deep dive into comedy, his working-class roots to his success and building his career long term.
They talk about Tom’s route into stand-up, creating and starring in Murder in Successville and King Gary, and what it takes to survive rejection, hyper-criticism and projects going wrong. There’s rare praise from Romesh, chaos behind the production cenes, doing his own stunts, pranks, and a BIG announcement. Plus an ever important question from Shanthi.
They also get into luck in the industry, being a dad, and how success changes your pers...
Cooking advice, dieting disasters and impressions that probably shouldn’t happen... Romesh is joined once again by mum Shanthi Ranganathan for another episode of unfiltered family chat.
They cover Shanthi’s go-to recipes, strong opinions on chicken, and what it’s actually like trying to diet with a Sri Lankan mum in the house. There’s listener questions, unexpected tangents (including one about poop), impressions of Josh Widdicombe, and Romesh attempting a Tamil impression that may or may not get him in trouble.
As always: advice is given confidently. Whether you should follow it is anoth...
Comedian Josh Widdicombe joins Romesh to explain why he might actually prefer podcasts to television.
They chat about his stand-up tour Not My Cup of Tea, appearing in more than 30 series of The Last Leg, and co-hosting the hugely successful Parenting Hell. Josh also talks about his move to Devon after being pushed out of London, rediscovering photography as a hobby, and launching his new series, Josh Widdicombe’s Museum of Pop Culture – covering everything from Mr Blobby to David Hasselhoff and the Berlin Wall.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
00:00 Intro
02:20 P...
It’s snacks, arguments and family drama as Romesh is joined by mum Shanthi for another episode of strong opinions and zero agreement.
They get into the ongoing dispute about mutton rolls, Romesh’s near-death experience with chilli oil, Shanthi’s love for Sheridan Smith and breakdown the headline-making Beckham family tension. There’s also Dungeon & Dragons confusion, and Shanthi's questionable rules about girls.
Expect bickering, roasting and classic Shanthi energy throughout.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
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From comedy beginnings to renowned actor and West End star, Sheridan Smith joins Romesh for a wide-ranging chat about confidence, acting and carving out a career that spans stage and screen.
They talk about imposter syndrome, developing characters and working together on the West End show Woman In Mind. Plus, a hip hop gift and a rather disappointing 50 Cent impression from Romesh.
A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
00:00 Intro
00:32 Romesh Admits Being Jealous
02:30 The Audition for Take That
05:33 Gifts
08:50 Mark Owen's Dream Trip to Graceland
10:02 "Heimscheiß...