Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has revealed that his wife, Leesa, was targeted by an online troll who sent her a racist message about their marriage. The 48-year-old, currently appearing on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors, said he regularly receives racist messages online, but the abuse has also extended to his wife and their three sons, Alex, Theo and Charlie.
Speaking about the incident, Ranganathan explained that Leesa received a disturbing message on Instagram accusing her of betraying white people because of their marriage. He recalled the message saying: “You are a race traitor because you married one of them. You are no longer welcome among the whites.”
Wife left 'incredibly upset'
Ranganathan said the message left his wife “incredibly upset”. In an attempt to comfort her, he responded with his characteristic dark humour, encouraging her to look at the life they had built together. He said: “Here's my advice: look at our house. You've come over to the dark side, and it's working pretty f**ing well for you. Cry those tears into the swimming pool.”
Despite his attempt to make light of the situation, Ranganathan admitted that the incident had affected him emotionally. He said he felt responsible for the abuse Leesa had experienced because of their relationship. “I am the reason that Leesa received that message. She is upset now because she is married to me. That's not a nice thing to contend with.”
The comedian added that Leesa might not have faced the same hostility had she married a white man. However, staying true to his comedic style, he added: “She also wouldn't have a pool.”
Family background and experiences
Romesh and Leesa first met while working as teachers at Hazelwick School in Crawley. Leesa taught drama, while Romesh taught mathematics. The couple married in 2009 and have three children together. The comedian has previously explained that his wife is comfortable with him discussing their relationship in his stand-up routines, viewing the material as comedy rather than a personal attack.
Ranganathan has also revealed that his sons have experienced racist comments while growing up. Speaking to his Wolf and Owl podcast co-host, Tom Davis, he described incidents involving the boys at school. He recalled one occasion when a child was speaking to a female friend, only for another pupil to make a racist remark about the prospect of him eventually marrying his cousin.
Reflecting on the incidents, the comedian suggested that children who make racist remarks may be repeating attitudes they have encountered at home. He said: “At a certain point you've got to go 'They're obviously hearing that at home'. So whenever I see that or I hear that a kid's done it, the next time I see their parents I'm thinking 'you're racist', right? And that's a horrible thing.”
Response to racism
Although he has spoken candidly about the impact of racism on his family, Ranganathan has also discussed why he believes it is important to think carefully about how to respond to abuse. He described racism as “horrible and abhorrent” but warned against allowing racist provocation to dictate a person's actions.
He explained: “What I mean by that is if somebody calls you a racial slur and it immediately ignites you, it gives that person power over you. I'm not saying you shouldn't react to racism, but I'm saying that immediately leading you to be violent is not something I want my kids to do.”
Ranganathan's own family background has also shaped his experiences. His mother, Shanthi, moved from Sri Lanka to Crawley when she was 19, alongside his late father, Ranga.
