Celebrity Traitors star Romesh Ranganathan’s family lost their home when he was a teenager

Celebrity Traitors‘ Romesh Ranganathan is best known for his deadpan humour, TV appearances and podcasts, but the comedian had a seriously difficult childhood long before he became a household name.

With Romesh now emerging as a possible murder victim, his past is worth revisiting as we watch how he fares in the castle.

Via BBC

Growing up in Crawley, Romesh experienced two very different sides of life. He initially attended private school and lived with his family in a comfortable semi-detached house. But when he was around 12 to 14 years old, their circumstances changed dramatically.

His father ran into financial difficulties and was arrested and imprisoned for almost two years for fraud, following an affair. The family’s home was repossessed, and outstanding school fees meant Romesh could no longer attend private school. He transferred to Hazelwick School in Crawley instead.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Romesh Ranganathan (@romeshranga)

Things became so difficult that Romesh, his mum and the rest of his family spent around 18 months living in a bed and breakfast. His mum, Shanthi, worked as a cleaner while they tried to get back on their feet, eventually moving into a council estate.

Romesh’s father was later released from prison and died in 2011. The comedian has since spoken candidly about the impact his family’s experiences had on him, including the challenges his parents faced after moving to the UK from Sri Lanka in 1970, eight years before he was born.

Speaking on Desert Island Discs, Romesh described his dad’s experience of arriving in Britain and embracing his new surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Romesh Ranganathan (@romeshranga)

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“My dad was a bit of a tornado, he came over to England and he’d been so used to the Sri Lankan way of life,” he recalled. “He was like a kid in a candy store, people were drinking and going out and he just threw himself into British life, wholly and completely.”

However, Romesh has also reflected on how differently his mum experienced moving to a new country. She was just 19 when she arrived in the UK, and he has admitted that one of his biggest regrets is not having fully appreciated what she went through at the time.

“The difference between her experience and my dad’s,” he explained, “is my dad was going off to work, where you’re immediately thrust into social connections and situations and you’re making friends just by dint of that being your lifestyle.”

Via BBC

His family’s struggles also had a lasting impact on his own career. In an interview with Marie Claire, Romesh opened up about the difficult circumstances surrounding his decision to leave teaching and pursue stand-up comedy.

“When I started doing stand-up, I resigned from my job as a maths teacher and, three days before I was due to leave, my dad passed away. I wasn’t able to focus on work, we couldn’t pay the bills and our car was taken away, but Leesa never showed a lack of faith.”

Despite the upheaval, Romesh went on to build a successful career in comedy and television, becoming a familiar face on British screens and hosting a weekend show on BBC Radio 2.

Whether he makes it to the Celebrity Traitors final or becomes one of the next people to be banished or murdered remains to be seen.

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Featured image credit: BBC/Instagram