The Romesh Ranganathan Show

Comedian Josh Widdicombe joins Romesh to explain why he might actually prefer podcasts to television.

They chat about his stand-up tour Not My Cup of Tea, appearing in more than 30 series of The Last Leg, and co-hosting the hugely successful Parenting Hell. Josh also talks about his move to Devon after being pushed out of London, rediscovering photography as a hobby, and launching his new series, Josh Widdicombe’s Museum of Pop Culture – covering everything from Mr Blobby to David Hasselhoff and the Berlin Wall.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.

00:00 Intro
02:20 Podcasting vs TV
04:10 On Touring
07:45 Gift giving
14:54 Stand up
17:45 Moving
21:50 Noel Edmunds’ House
24:01 Getting business offers
27:11 A question from Shanthi
29:00 Photography and hobbies
33:30 Romesh on his Marathon
36:16 Drinking habits and ChatGPT
44:41 Josh on podcasting
50:06 Obsessions and interests
55:53 Parenting Hell
58:38 Rob Beckett
01:02:40 Agents and insecurities
01:06:42 Being mimicable
01:11:50 Misquoted
01:30:20 An Exclusive
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It’s snacks, arguments and family drama as Romesh is joined by mum Shanthi for another episode of strong opinions and zero agreement.

They get into the ongoing dispute about mutton rolls, Romesh’s near-death experience with chilli oil, Shanthi’s love for Sheridan Smith and breakdown the headline-making Beckham family tension. There’s also Dungeon & Dragons confusion, and Shanthi's questionable rules about girls.

Expect bickering, roasting and classic Shanthi energy throughout.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.
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From comedy beginnings to renowned actor and West End star, Sheridan Smith joins Romesh for a wide-ranging chat about confidence, acting and carving out a career that spans stage and screen.

They talk about imposter syndrome, developing characters and working together on the West End show Woman In Mind. Plus, a hip hop gift and a rather disappointing 50 Cent impression from Romesh.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.

00:00 Intro
00:32 Romesh Admits Being Jealous
02:30 The Audition for Take That
05:33 Gifts
08:50 Mark Owen's Dream Trip to Graceland
10:02 "Heimscheißer"
12:40 Take That's Circus Tour
20:00 Take That's Early Career Regrets
21:22 The Take That Annual Fact File
24:53 Gary Barlow's Star Trek Fandom
27:33 If Not Music, Then What?
32:03 Take That's Favourite Films
33:42 Netflix Documentary
37:17 The Pressures of Songwriting
40:04 Howard Donald on His Role in the Band
42:50 The Most Unusual Present from a Fan
44:37 The 90s
48:47 Misquoted: "Beards Can Get a Bit Sweaty"
53:32 "We Weren't a Boy Band"
57:10 Future Ambitions
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Romesh is joined by mum Shanthi Ranganathan for another episode of strong opinions, unexpected confessions and classic family chaos. From learning Spanish and declaring her love for Take That, to unpacking fan obsessions and answering listener questions, Shanthi once again proves she’s the star of the show.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.

00:00 Intro
01:19 Shanthi learns some Spanish
03:38 Shanthi’s a Take That fan
05:10 A team question
07:05 A fan obsession
08:55 Romesh’s seduction
11:20 Is Romesh Crawley’s golden boy?
18:39 A final question from the listeners

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Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald sit down with Romesh to talk about the ups and downs of Take That – from their crazy beginnings in the 90s to the reboot of their legendary Circus Tour. They talk about the band's audition process, the pressures of songwriting, and Gary Barlow's not-very-popstar passions: Star Trek and interior design magazines. Plus Romesh admits to a 30-year-old act of jealousy.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 

00:00 Intro

00:32 Romesh Admits Being Jealous

02:30 The Audition for Take That

05:33 Gifts

08:50 Mark Owen's Dream Trip to Graceland

10:02 "Heimscheißer"

12:40 Take That's Circus Tour

20:00 Take That's Early Career Regrets

21:22 The Take That Annual Fact File

24:53 Gary Barlow's Star Trek Fandom

27:33 If Not Music, Then What?

32:03 Take That's Favourite Films

33:42 Netflix Documentary

37:17 The Pressures of Songwriting

40:04 Howard Donald on His Role in the Band

42:50 The Most Unusual Present from a Fan

44:37 The 90s 

48:47 Misquoted: "Beards Can Get a Bit Sweaty"

53:32 "We Weren't a Boy Band"

57:10 Future Ambitions
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices