DRRANJ It’s tough being gayintheNHS
Strictly’s Dr Ranj on NHS ‘prejudice’
BIG REVELATION Strictly star Dr Ranj on prejudice at work
STRICTLY Come Dancing star Dr Ranj Singh has revealed how he encountered homophobic prejudice in the NHS.
The This Morning doc came out as gay several years ago, after previously being married to a woman in his early 20s.
The 39-year-old said: “The media industry is much more accepting, but I feel like the medical world has a little further to go.
“It’s a bit ironic that the caring profession could ever be prejudiced, but it does happen.
“People like myself and so many others are here to change that, though.”
Dr Ranj qualified as a doctor at King’s College School of Medicine in 2003 before working in paediatrics at various hospitals in London.
He became This Morning’s resident doctor after presenting Get Well
Soon on CBBC.
He told Gay
Times magazine:
“My journey certainly hasn’t been easy, but is probably similar to many others.
“I came out relatively late – at the age of 30 – having previously been married to a woman I loved. “That process was heartbreaking for me and my partner.
“I was completely broken. It was the lowest point in my life.
“I can only imagine how hard it was for my wife, though – she didn’t deserve any of that. I feel so incredibly sorry for what she had to go through.” The doctor, paired with Janette Manrara on Strictly, is set to dance a samba to “gay anthem” Freedom by George Michael on Saturday.
But he faces a battle to remain in the competition.
The presenter was quoted at 7/4 earlier this week to leave, but his odds have since been slashed to 6/5. He admits he is now suffering from anxiety. On This Morning, the star – who struggled with his performance last week – said he’s had to put his own medical advice “into practice” and learn how to deal with nerves the way he has advised people on the daytime show.
It’s ironic that the caring profession could be prejudiced DR RANJ SINGH ON PREJUDICE IN THE NHS