‘The BBC is no longer relying on my internet connection…’
Comic Romesh Ranganathan on missing his garage, homeschooling – and trying not to get annoyed with Zoom…
You were filming in your garage last time – fond memories…? Well, obviously the commute was amazing! It was also surreal to be able to take a break from work and be able to walk straight into my house, to have a sandwich with the kids.
I’ll miss that. You can’t get too nervous about the record when your family are just next door! What can we expect from series three?
The truth is, it’s going to be very much like series two – which was a bit more intimate, and I think people liked that. It’s me in the studio, with the Ranganation (focus group) and the celebrity guests at home. And this time it won’t be the case of a BBC show relying on my own internet connection to be able to go out on air – which was so mad!
You brought audiences comfort during the first lockdown…
When we did the last series, obviously people were very much adjusting to what the hell this all meant. We ended up reacting to stuff like homeschooling and shopping – and the big news events, too, like Dominic Cummings and the Barnard Castle incident.
It’s all very reactive.
Do you have any highlights?
One viewer sent in a video of a cuckoo he’d seen on a walk. We put it on the show as something fun to talk about, but it was like 30 seconds of a tree – where you couldn’t see the cuckoo, but you could hear one, somewhere…
For me it’s moments like that that summarise the series – it’s impossible to predict how it’s going to go.
What’s brought you joy over the last year?
I’ve had so much more time on my hands, so I’ve watched stuff that I was supposed to watch ages ago – like Game Of Thrones from start to finish.
How is homeschooling going? (Romesh has three primary-age sons with his wife, Leesa.)
When we were doing it during the first lockdown, we were just sort of bricking it about getting all the work done and getting the kids into the routine. This time around, it’s still stressful, but my wife and I have become much more zen about it. If the kids get fed up, or if it feels like we’re pushing them too hard or feeling a bit over it, we’ll just take a break. I think we’ve been a little bit more forgiving of ourselves this time.
Is your mum, Shanthi, helping out?
I totally appreciate that she is from a different generation, so I can’t get annoyed, but objectively speaking it is so annoying... On Zoom, if she can’t figure out how to share her screen, I’ll get her to video call me and point her phone at it. I’ll be like, ‘Mum, I can’t advise you because your camera is pointing at the table…’ It’s sort of balancing being empathetic, but at the same time going through one of the most frustrating experiences you could ever imagine!
Looking ahead, what do you hope for 2021?
Series-wise, I hope we manage to find the light side of the horrendous situation we’re all in. In terms of the year in general, I’m just desperate to get back on stage. I love stand-up so much, and it’s impossible to do it now, for obvious reasons. I’ve got tour dates scheduled, so fingers crossed things go as we’re hoping they will and we can get back into it.