The Romesh Ranganathan Show

What do you say when your 8-year-old walks in on you in 'the act'? Romesh and his mum Shanthi take on your questions and family dilemmas, even though they remain thoroughly unqualified to do so. This week, a listener needs help after their son caught them in the middle of the night, and Romesh and Shanthi try to work out the best response. A role play that quickly goes off the rails... Got a dilemma? Send us a voice note or email, and we might answer it on the show. Nothing is off limits (we really mean it). A Ranga Bee Production. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 Shanthi's Next outfit 03:08 Caught by an 8-year-old 05:11 Questionable role play 14:03 Romesh on gym self-consciousness 19:10 Romesh's golden rule for sticking to fitness 20:13 Shanthi's diet and jacket potato fillings 22:16 Farting etiquette 24:56 Does reincarnation exist? 29:12 The reincarnated child surgeon 31:48 Shanthi's fortune teller and the fake FUBU 36:23 Romesh can't read the menu 43:07 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes Stacey Dooley such a good documentary maker? In this episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Romesh is joined by broadcaster and documentary maker Stacey Dooley to reflect on her journey through documentary-making, how she approaches telling them and the stories and experiences that have stayed with her. They also get into some very important Selling Sunset and Below Deck gossip, before Stacey explains exactly why she hates Southampton.Plus, there's some questionable role play, a game of Misquoted and a brief detour into boxing, Little Mix and Jamie Oliver. A Ranga Bee Production. Chapters 00:00 Intro05:56 A gift for Stacey08:21 Why Stacey loves boxing12:39 Stacey hobbies14:36 Questionable role play17:06 What makes Stacey a good documentary maker25:37 Selling Sunset and Below Deck gossip28:16 Louis Theroux and the manosphere29:55 Stacey's new documentaries38:38 Are there really goodies and baddies?44:35 A question from Shanthi45:43 Why Stacey hates Southampton50:47 Lessons from inspiring women55:16 Who Stacey would love to interview1:07:27 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Shanthi do a better celebrity impression than Romesh? In this Thursday episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Romesh and Shanthi are back with listener questions, family stories and a celebrity impressions challenge that quickly gets out of hand. From Shanthi’s early morning routines to what it's like being a grandma, the pair discuss family relationships throughout including a family trip to Devil's Dyke that Romesh missed out on. Elsewhere, the team suggest a Celebrity Impressions Challenge where Romesh is put through his paces as he attempts impressions of David Attenborough, Simon Cowell, and Gordon Ramsay and Shanthi is challenged to Nigella Lawson (you don't want to miss it). And, as usual, we take on your questions, discussing what happens when children start pulling away as they get older, and how to approach telling a traditional family about a relationship that crosses caste boundaries, with some of the best advice in the business. Plus, Shanthi shares a deeply personal story about her parents and the choices they made for love. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:58 Morning routines & garden chat 05:02 Shanthi’s advice to Rom 07:30 Shanthi as a grandma 08:50 TikTok Shop & Bank mishaps 14:15 When Lenny Henry had Shanthi’s back 15:20 Celebrity Impressions Challenge 25:52 Shanthi holds Romesh to his word 28:14 Shanthi's favourite podcast moment 29:46 Shanthi's trip to Devil's Dyke 35:10 Listener questions: parenting & caste 54:45 Shanthi shares her parents story 57:27 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What did Eddie Murphy say to Lenny Henry? In this Monday episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Romesh is joined by the legendary comedian, actor, and writer, Sir Lenny Henry. The pair look back at Lenny’s incredible career, from his early stand-up and TV shows, to his latest projects. They discuss racism, realities of working in the entertainment industry, and the pressure that comes with a long career. Lenny talks about his return to stand-up with his new tour, Lenny Henry: Still at Large, and his new BBC show,The Split Up (available on BBC iPlayer now). Plus, they deep dive into the world of being a stand-up comedian, inspirations, and how it's changed over the years. Elsewhere, Romesh and Lenny get into self-care, manscaping, and some questionable fashion choices, and Lenny opens up about death, grief, and some of the lessons he’s learned throughout his life. Plus, Shanthi has a bone to pick with Romesh... A fascinating conversation about comedy, careers, ageing, loss, and what it takes to keep going. Buy tickets to Lenny's tour 'Still at Large' with dates until November 4, 2026. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media. If therapy is something you've been thinking about, visit Counselling Directory and find a therapist that's right for you: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=romesh_sponsorship Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:46 When Lenny and Romesh met 05:20 A gift for Lenny 08:34 Lenny’s career 13:53 On True Identity 17:30 On chef and career mentality 18:54 The challenges of the industry 20:44 Lenny reads Romesh 22:45 Self-care and manscaping 25:20 Fashion faux pas 29:29 The upcoming tour and being on stage 40:06 A question from Shanthi on impressions 43:54 The Split Up 29:38 Misquoted 57:11 On death and grief 58:45 Some advice from Lenny 59:59 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who does Shanthi want next on the podcast? In this special, one-year anniversary episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Romesh and Shanthi celebrate a whole year of the podcast with a little help from the team and a surprise message from none other than our first guest, Michael Sheen. The pair look back at some of their favourite moments from the show, reflect on how far the podcast has come, and discuss what they’d like to do next, including a potential trip to Los Angeles and a team yacht holiday. They also tackle a listener dilemma about dogs at parties, pet boundaries, parent and child tattoos, and discuss Romesh’s ambition to get on Below Deck. Plus, Shanthi has some very sweet words about Romesh and the team behind the podcast. It’s a special anniversary episode celebrating one year of The Romesh Ranganathan Show. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media. Chapters 00:00 Intro 07:32 Celebrating one year of the show 10:28 A message from Michael Sheen 11:15 Rom’s takeaways from the podcast 15:08 A holiday question for the team 17:43 Romesh wants to get on Below Deck 23:20 A question about dog boundaries 32:21 Convincing your mum to get a tattoo 39:22 Who do we want next on the pod? 42:11 Shanthi’s thoughts on Romesh 45:25 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices