The Romesh Ranganathan Show

Aziz Ansari on Parks and Rec, Master of None & Living in London

What happens when one of the world’s biggest comedians swaps Hollywood for a flip phone and a quieter life? Comedian, writer, actor and director Aziz Ansari joins Romesh Ranganathan for a wide-ranging conversation about stand-up, identity, culture, creativity and getting older. From selling out Madison Square Garden to creating one of the most renowned Netflix comedy-dramas, Master of None, Aziz reflects on the pressure of chasing great work. He discusses his career from starting in stand-up, to Parks And Recreation, to directing his new film Good Fortune starring Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, looking at how the comedy scene has changed over time. The pair also discuss growing up in immigrant families, blending cultures, working with parents and all-things UK, from settling in to football culture. Plus Aziz's passion for cooking and cookbooks. As always expect an unhinged questions from Shanthi and a good game of Misquoted finish. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform. 00:00 Intro 03:39 Have Aziz and Rom met? 04:05 Tamil and blending cultures 12:38 On age 13:38 A gift for Aziz 15:49 Can Aziz handle hot sauce? 17:20 Moving to the UK 18:05 Football 19:22 On Master of None 25:55 Parents and support 31:34 Working with parents 34:09 A question from Shanthi 36:10 Selling out Madison Square Garden 37:00 Finding creative balance 39:22 Stand up in New York 43:56 How has Aziz’s standup changed? 50:50 On Parks And Recreation 57:10 How hard is it to make a movie? 1:01:57 Chasing your best work 1:03:42 Misquoted 1:12:30 An exclusive 1:15:25 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

We FINALLY Read Your Emails!

Can we fix the email problem? This week's Thursday episode is an Email Special, where we finally catch up with some of your unanswered messages. From family feuds over cats and awkward sex talks to relationship arguments, the pair call people out, offer advice and revisit the infamous “tortoise eating your ding dong” debate. Romesh also addresses complaints about eating on the podcast (don't worry we mute him) and Shanthi gets duped by AI and TikTok. Plus there's a failed attempt to pitch to M&S. With Shanthi being spikey and Romesh getting roasted it's one not to miss. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform. 00:00 Intro 04:53 An email special 05:25 On Ben Elton 07:08 An M&S sponsor attempt 08:17 A serious note from Romesh 09:00 A doctors opinion 10:00 Shanthi has a go 13:39 Some email stats 16:00 Would Romesh be a good model? 16:35 The first email 17:0 Tortoises revisited 20:18 A jingle and an ego bash 23:18 An email about a cat 28:13 Dogs or cats? 29:19 Shanthi’s TikTok finds 32:05 An email about the sex talk 38:26 A couple’s dispute 45:00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Ben Elton on Blackadder, Mr Bean & Writing TV Classics

What does the man behind Blackadder actually think about modern comedy? Ben Elton, multi award-winning comedian writer, novelist, director and lyricist joins Romesh to discuss his new autobiography, 'What Have I Done?’' and share with us how he went from being a 10-year old auditioning for amateur theatre, to writing some of the most-loved British sitcoms including Blackadder, The Young Ones and more. From going to University with Rick Mayall, getting the call to work with Queen and how the We Will Rock You Musical really came about, to what happened when Blackadder got cancelled and why he loves Mr Bean so much. Plus: a classic question from Shanthi, a rant about mobile phones and an unexpected modelling pitch to M&S. Don't miss it. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform. 00:00 - Intro 02:50 - Ben’s autobiography 04:49 - On reviews and critics 09:09 - A gift for Ben 12:54 - Ben’s route into writing 15:34 - On stand up 21:32 - Challenging sexism and politics 24:10 - On Improvising 26:13 - The real story of Blackadder 37:55 - Ben’s favourite work 39:30 - On negative headlines 40:56 - Upstart Crow with David Mitchell 43:32 - Triumph and disaster 45:03 - Shanthi’s question to Ben 48:35 - On We Will Rock You 01:01-40 - Misquoted 01:16:55 - Saying what you want to say 01:18:28 - Modelling pitch 01:19:02 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

We Accidentally Ignored 632 Emails…

What happens when you realise you’ve accidentally ignored 632 listener emails? Mystery solved and an apology is in order from the team in this Thursday's episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, after finding out they have been checking the wrong inbox the entire time. This week Romesh and Shanthi team up again to answer and advise on your dilemmas. Covering topics from aging, learning English and impressing family members to some unlicensed, dubious medical advice from Shanthi herself. There’s also a chaotic “Freaky Friday” conversation about swapping lives for 24 hours, an unexpected Tamil telling-off and Romesh is forced into a terrible apology. 00:00 Intro 01:20 Meditating with Romesh 02:44 A podcast debrief 05:30 An apology to the emailers 10:12 Your listener dilemmas answered 20:30 Romesh’s last epic night out 22:30 A Ranganathan Freaky Friday 30:39 How to impress your mother in law 33:23 Shanthi tells Romesh off in Tamil 35:17 An apology from Romesh 38:45 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Adam Buxton on Why Podcasting Has Got WORSE & Comedy Jingles

What is the future of comedy and podcasts? Comedian, actor and podcaster Adam Buxton joins Romesh for a thoughtful and funny conversation about creativity, aging and the strange evolution of podcasting. Adam reflects on his career from The Adam and Joe Show, to music, to building one of the UK’s most respected podcasts. From working with Louis Theroux to becoming podcast competitors, he discusses why he prefers audio over video, even as the industry shifts toward clips, algorithms and “maximising reach”. They also chat about the reality of getting older in the public eye and why chasing audience approval can quietly ruin creative work. Plus, Adam talks about making his debut solo album, Buckle Up, collaborating with Metronomy’s Joe Mount, and finding new ways to stay creative. Expect as usual, a question from Shanthi, and a game of Misquoted with a brutal breakdown of how viral exclusives are ruining us. The Adam Buxton Band are on tour and you can get your tickets here! https://linktr.ee/theadambuxtonband [https://linktr.ee/theadambuxtonband] A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform. 00:00 Intro 05:00 A gift for Adam 06:30 Hair loss, aging and awkward family moments 13:20 Rom & Adam’s attempt at friendship 16:33 Adam on podcasting trending 17:10 The competition with Theroux 18:04 What Adam doesn’t like about podcasting 25:42 Getting into music 29:55 Adam’s new comedy album 30:51 Shorts faux pas and fashion envy 36:40 More on Buckle Up the album 39:30 Adam does a jingle 42:06 Adam’s divided career 49:39 A question from Shanthi 51:57 The future of comedy TV 54:55 Misquoted 01:02:29 A viral exclusive broken down 01:06:36 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]