Romesh Ranganathan recalls being Broke after Dad’s Death

Romesh Ranganathan revealed that the aftermath of his father’s sudden death saw him so broke that he lost his car.

But a fellow comedian helped him out at the time he needed it most.

In 2011, Romesh was working as a teacher but was about to try and launch his career as a full-time comedian.

He and wife Leesa were starting their family and Romesh had become a new father.

But things changed that year as the death of his father Ranga uncovered deep financial troubles within the family.

He and his brother were then dealt with the tricky task of having to settle their father’s affairs, which included running a pub in East Grinstead.

Romesh explained: “I quit teaching at Christmas but three days before I was due to finish, my dad died suddenly of a heart attack.

“It was a real shock. So, I didn’t focus on comedy at all.

“My dad had a pub I was trying to sort out the estate for and I was trying to make sure my mum was all right.

“I wasn’t getting comedy work and we were broke. The car got taken away. It was bad.”

But one comedian helped Romesh out.

Romesh continued: “I was really struggling, then Seann Walsh saw me at a gig.

“He got me Edinburgh shows, tour supports and asked me to do a set at his TV show launch.

“The producers also made Live At The Apollo and I got a call from them the following week. The panic was over for a bit.”

Despite the support, this was not the first time Romesh had faced financial uncertainty.

When he was 12, his father was arrested for fraud and sent to prison.

This had financial consequences for the family, who had their home repossessed and were forced to live in a local B&B for 18 months before they were rehomed in a council house,

These days, Romesh Ranganathan has built up a thriving TV and comedy career.

One of his biggest TV gigs is hosting BBC’s iconic gameshow The Weakest Link, which he began fronting in 2021.

He is currently hosting ITV’s Parents’ Evening, which sees celebrities team up with a family member to answer questions on a variety of subjects to win money for charity.

It also provides viewers with insights into celebrity parental relationships.

The show even includes Romesh’s own mum, Shanthi, who oversees the scoring.