Weakest Link's Romesh Ranganathan forced to work at Christmas after dad’s death for sad reason
Romesh Ranganathan has become a prominent figure on the comedy circuit and in the TV industry, having carved out an impressive career in the spotlight over recent years. The comedian is known for hosting shows such as The Weakest Link - which has been back on TV screens on Christmas Day - and events including the BAFTA Awards.
However, things haven't always been plain sailing for Romesh, 46. After deciding to give up his job as a teacher in a bid to pursue comedy full-time in 2011, Romesh's life was turned upside down as his father suddenly passed away. He died of a heart attack during Romesh's final days working as a teacher.
At the time, Romesh found himself technically jobless with a family to support, while also being in charge of sorting out his late father's finances. On top of this, he had the responsibility of keeping his pub, the Prince of Wales in East Grinstead, running.
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Speaking to The i Paper, Romesh previously revealed: “It turned out my dad’s financial situation was a complete house of cards. He was mortgaged up to the eyeballs, the pub wasn’t making as much money as we thought, it was a real mess. And in hindsight, I went full time [with comedy] a bit early. I wasn’t regularly getting work and my Dad passing away meant I wasn’t hustling, trying to get more. The combination meant we were broke. For a while, we couldn’t pay the bills.”
Just one week after his dad died, Romesh did stand-up comedy at Up the Creek in Greenwich. While he admitted he knew it was mad, he needed the money and Christmas was very fast approaching. However, he was met with a rowdy audience and as he began, certain attendees made racist heckles towards him. He admitted he completed the set without "acknowledging" what was being said to him by a man on the front row.
Despite the difficulties he faced when starting out, Romesh's comedy career has continued to go from strength to strength. One of his biggest TV gigs is hosting BBC's iconic gameshow Weakest Link, which he began fronting in 2021. He also presents a morning show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturdays.
He's also won two BAFTA TV Awards; one for Best Features for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, and another for Best Entertainment Performance for The Ranganation. The star is also a proud husband to wife Lessa and doting dad to three sons.
