Romesh Ranganathan on self deprecation and taking the reins from Claudia Winkleman as BBC Radio 2 host
With big shoes to fill, taking the reins as BBC Radio 2 host is certainly no walk in the park when your predecessor is no other than Claudia Winkelman.
But, as the Strictly Come Dancing presenter steps down from the airwaves in order to spend more time with her family, a stellar replacement is waiting in the wings.
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan will take to the job as host of Saturday morning Radio 2 from April.
Speaking to The Times ahead of his new role, Romesh opened up about self-deprecation and why, despite exciting new beginnings, finding comfort in the familiar can also be a good thing.
The humble comedian told The Times, "I often say, and I do mean it, that I am more successful than I deserve. Comedy or entertainment is not a true meritocracy. So if someone goes, ‘But you’re playing the O2!’ I just go, ‘Selling tickets is not directly connected to how good you are.’"
As for his latest gig? Ranganathan has no plans to drastically change the infamous Radio 2 slot: "It will remain a funny discussion show," he said. "Revolutionising Radio 2 is not in the plans."
But for Ranganathan - who was a maths teacher and assistant headteacher before turning to comedy and who still lives in his Sussex hometown - sometimes relishing the old is just as good as embracing the new.
"I really like familiar. I’ve spent most of my life in Crawley. My mum’s around the corner, my brother’s down the road," he said. "I’ve been lucky enough to get a nice spot, I just like it. And I can go to Tesco unbothered, nobody gives a crap."
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