Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has revealed that his three sons have been targets of racist harassment at school in West Sussex. Speaking on his podcast, the broadcaster explained that these incidents mirror the prejudice he encountered during his own upbringing.
Arranged marriage slurs and schoolground abuse
During an episode of the Wolf and Owl podcast, Romesh Ranganathan detailed the specific nature of the abuse his children—Alex (16), Theo (14), and Charlie (11)—have faced. According to the report, one of the boys was subjected to an insulting remark regarding arranged marriage while simply talking to a female classmate. Additionally, the comedian's eldest son, Alex, was targeted with a racial slur while walking on school grounds.
While Romesh Ranganathan described these incidents as "abhorrent," he noted that the frequency of such attacks has decreased since his own youth. However, the persistence of these behaviors in a modern school setting suggests that the underlying prejudices remain deeply embedded in the community.
From skinhead attacks to the Crawley terrace
The current experiences of the Ranganathan children echo a traumatic history for the comedian himself. As reported in the source, Romesh Ranganathan recalled being spat on by a fellow student in his youth and was later physically attaacked by skinheads outside a nightclub during his university years . These events occurred against a backdrop of significant family instability in West Sussex.
The comedian's early life was marked by both racial and economic hardship . His parents, Shanthi and Ranga, moved to Crawley from Sri Lanka when Shanthi was 19. The family later faced severe poverty and homelessness, spending approximately 18 months in bed-and-breakfast accommodation after Ranga was imprisoned for two years on fraud charges, leading to the reepossession of their home .
Why Romesh Ranganathan blames the parents of bullies
In analyzing the source of this behavior, Romesh Ranganathan argues that racist language used by children is almost always a reflection of their home environment. he stated that when he learns a child has used such language, he concludes that the parents hold racist views, describing this as a "horrible but unavoidable judgement."
Despite his condemnation of the acts, the 48-year-old broadcaster advised his sons against overreacting to casual slurs. Romesh Ranganathan suggested that an immediate emotional response grants the abuser power over the victim. While he is firm that racism should never be tolerated, he emphasized that he does not want his children to respond to these provocations with violence.
The missing response from West Sussex schools
While the report provides a detailed account of the abuse , it leaves several critical questions unanswered regarding the institutional response. it remains unclear whether the schools in West Sussex have taken formal disciplinary action against the students responsible for the slurs or if the school administrations have implemented new anti-racism policies in response to these incidents.
Furthermore, the source focuses exclusively on Romesh Ranganathan's perspective. There is no mention of statements from the schools involved or the parents of the children accused of the abuse, leaving the reader without a full picture of how these conflicts are being mediated within the education system.
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