Romesh Ranganathan has revealed the extent of the racist abuse directed at his family, recalling how one internet user attacked his wife for choosing to marry him. The troll went so far as to call her a “race traitor” because of her marriage to the Celebrity Traitors contestant.

Ranganathan is currently appearing in the second instalment of the BBC reality series. His dry humour and keen eye for human behaviour have made him a notable presence on the show, with viewers and fellow contestants regarding him as one of the more capable Faithfuls.

Away from television, however, the 48-year-old comedian has had to contend with a steady stream of racial hostility. He explained that strangers routinely use the internet to send him abusive messages, and that this has become an almost daily occurrence.

During a performance in New Malden, south London, the British-Sri Lankan entertainer spoke about the frequency of these attacks, saying that racist messages reach him every day.

Why Romesh Ranganathan’s Wife Leesa Became a Target of Racist Abuse

The abuse has not been confined to the comedian himself. Romesh Ranganathan wife, Leesa, whom he married in 2009, was singled out by one troll for her relationship with him. The sender accused her of being a “race traitor” on internet “because you married one of them,” as per The Daily Mail.

The message concluded with a declaration that she is “no longer welcome among the whites.” Ranganathan said the attack had left Leesa “incredibly upset.”

He recalled responding by drawing attention to the comfortable life they had built together. Rather than dignifying the troll’s prejudice with a serious argument, he offered a pointed reply: “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.”

The incident has left Ranganathan with mixed feelings. He said he found it difficult to accept that his wife had to endure hostility because of her choice of partner. “She is upset now because she is married to me. That’s not a nice thing to contend with.”

He also found an ironic answer to the attacker’s prejudice. Romesh Ranganathan wife might have avoided such abuse had she married a white man, he suggested, but she would have missed out on some of the comforts of their present life. “If she was married to a white guy, she wouldn’t have got that message, but she also wouldn’t have a pool.”

How Romesh Ranganathan and Leesa Met Before Their 2009 Wedding

Their story began at Hazelwick School in Crawley. Both were teachers there when they met. Leesa taught drama, while Romesh handled mathematics. The two eventually married in 2009. They now have three sons: Alex, 16, Theo, 14, and Charlie, 11.

Their marriage has also found its way into Ranganathan’s comedy. He has previously explained that Leesa has no serious objection to his using their domestic life as material for his routines.

In an interview with The Guardian, he described her attitude towards his performances. “People often ask me if she minds me talking about her, but she genuinely sees it all as just comedy, and therefore meaningless,” he said.

Racist Bullying Also Affects Romesh Ranganathan’s Three Sons

Racism has also touched the couple’s children. Earlier this year, Ranganathan spoke about the abuse his sons encountered from other pupils at their school in West Sussex. He described their treatment as “abhorrent” and questioned where the children had learnt such behaviour.

For him, the responsibility did not end with the pupils themselves. He suspected that some of their attitudes came from what they heard at home. “At a certain point, you’ve got to go, ‘They’re obviously hearing that at home’.

He admitted that these incidents had altered his view of the parents, too. An unpleasant thought now enters his mind when he meets the families of children involved in such abuse. “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,” he shared.

Conclusion

Romesh Ranganathan’s life is about more than his comedy career and TV shows. The racist remarks about his wife, Leesa, and their three sons demonstrate that racism can impact even the closest of families. Romesh likes to use jokes to discuss hard topics, but this time he didn’t need to use many words to make an impact. 

Romesh met Leesa when they were both teaching at Hazelwick School. Their relationship has been going on for years, unlike the angry stranger’s comments on the internet. Romeshis known for using family life for humour, but racism and hate the family has suffered is no laughing matter.

FAQs

1. Who is Romesh Ranganathan wife?

Romesh Ranganathan is married to Leesa. They met when they were both at Hazelwick School in Crawley. Leesa was a drama teacher and Romesh was a maths teacher. They wed in 2009, before Romesh became popular with his television appearances and comedy career.

2. How many children do Romesh Ranganathan and Leesa have?

Romesh and Leesa have 3 sons, Alex, Theo and Charlie. They are 16, 14 and 11 years old, respectively. Romesh has also talked about the racist remarks his children had to endure at school.

3. What did the troll say about Romesh Ranganathan’s wife?

An online troll called Leesa a “race traitor” and that white people would no longer accept her because she married Romesh. Leesa was very upset with the message. Romesh talked about the incident and explained how racism on the internet can impact not only famous individuals, but their families as well.