12 May 2024 , 18:00
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Romesh Ranganathan is best known for making people laugh, but there are plenty of things fans may not know about him.
From his addiction to tattoos to his heartbreaking health struggles, the 46-year-old comedian has weathered many ups and downs over the years - and his seldom-seen wife has been by his side every step of the way.
The dad-of-three will tonight (May 12) be hosting the BAFTAs alongside fellow comedian Rob Beckett, with the ceremony set to celebrate some of the most phenomenal television talent from the past year.
As Romesh prepares for one of the most exciting evenings in the British showbiz calendar the Mirror takes a look at the comic's personal life away from the stage...
Rarely seen wife
Seldom-seen Leesa has supported husband Romesh every step of the way (Can Nguyen/Capital Pictures)
The couple first met while working in the same secondary school (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Romesh is married to wife Leesa, with the pair first locking eyes while working at a secondary school in Crawley. She was in the drama department, while he taught maths - but the connection between them proved to be pure chemistry.
BAFTA host Romesh Ranganathan's humble pre-fame job, wife and surprising tattoos
After tying the knot in 2009, the happy couple went on to welcome three children - Theo, Alex, and Charlie. Their youngest born at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, while Romesh was performing at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Offering his words of marital wisdom with the Mirror in 2018, Romesh said: "The key to a happy marriageis myself being absent for long periods of time. My wife Leesa and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary next year, but if my comedy gigs petered out and I was around the house more, we'd 100 percent be getting divorced. As a husband, I'm much more appealing when I'm not actually there at all."
Leesa tends to stay out of the spotlight, however, Romesh has offered a little insight into their marriage - even divulging a few personal details about their bedroom antics. In a 2020 column penned for The Guardian, Romesh recalled one stand-up routine where he'd joked about their 'sex life, or lack thereof."
Romesh wrote: "I have a vivid memory of seeing her face in the audience, looking completely calm, and then glancing across to our friends, who looked utterly horrified at the prospect of going out for dinner with a couple they now knew were definitely not having sex when they got home."
Thankfully, Leesa views such candid confessions as 'just comedy', Romesh admits that some of her pals think he's 'a b******'. Reflecting on what sex is life one decade into a marriage, Romesh continued: "Sex is a bit like making a risotto: it's always nice, but a lot of the time you really can't be arsed. In the past, you might have cleared an evening for it; now you try to fit it in early, so that you can watch two episodes of a box set before bed."
All jokes aside, it's clear Romesh is grateful to Leesa for all her support over the years, and believe he wouldn't have had a successful comedy career without her by his side. In an interview with Marie Claire in 2018, Romesh said: "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. I felt I'd put us through a bad patch and not for a very noble reason – being a comedian is a very vacuous thing to decide to do – but she came to all my shows and gave me feedback. Without her support, I wouldn't have been a comedian."
Heartbreaking health struggles
The comedian recently ran the London Marathon to raise money for CALM (Hazpics / SplashNews.com)
He's previously spoken openly about his own mental health struggles (Getty Images)In April of this year, Romesh ran in the 2024 London Marathon - choosing CALM - an acronym for Campaign Against Living Miserably - as the charity he wished to support. Romesh has been a patron of CALM since 2023, and the organisation's mission holds a very personal meaning for him.
Opening up during an interview Gabby Logan on BBC Sport, Romesh said: “I've talked about it a few times, I came close to taking my own life in the past and it's something I feel strongly about in terms of mental health issues. And Calm is a really great charity for raising awareness and so it was both about raising the money and just raising the awareness of the work that they do, so that's why I'm running.”
With his trademark humour, Romesh continued: "And, I do want to say, whatever donations I get I'm going to match them… To a limit obviously, I don't want to lose my house over this."
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In February 2023, brave Romesh opened up about the dark thoughts that have plagued him in the past, during an appearance on The Diary Of A CEO Podcast. Romesh said: "I was thinking about taking my own life regularly, and I'd fantasise about it... I think that all comedians are wired slightly differently. They've had something happen to them that has made them an outsider in some way."
He added: "I'm addicted to doing stand-up. And it makes me better at everything. But... I've got this inner voice that is horrific. It will say, 'You're not a very good Dad, you're not a very good husband.' I had a run of about six-panel shows, and I was in a really bad place, and I turned up to each one of them with the steadfast belief that I was sh** at this."
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
Tattoo tributes for sons
Romesh has paid tribute to his sons through his love of tattoos (BBC/Rumpus Media Ltd)Fans have previously learned of the ups and downs of Romesh's family life through his 'midlife crisis' columns for The Guardian, which documented everything from holidays to taking up golf.
Writing for The Guardian in 2019, the comedian revealed he'd become "obsessed with getting tattooed", so much so that he had his two eldest sons' names tattooed on his body. He went on to explain that he and Leesa had originally both agreed to get tattoos following the birth of their first son - but "she bottled it".
According to Romesh: "I got another done when my second son was born, but am yet to get a tattoo for our youngest. The clock is ticking, because he is now learning to read, and will be upset when he discovers that, not only have I got his brothers' names, but also Richard Pryor, Nas, the Roots and the Transformers' Autobot logo before getting around to him."
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com