To wonder why Romesh Ranganathan…

[Rainymoondays]

Had so much exposure on TV? He’s really really unfunny, he’s a crap stilted presenter and just makes everything awkward.

We obviously have a different perspective on that. I interpret it as a part of his deliberately-inappropriate humour; but that's only my personal understanding, which may well be wrong.

FWIW, I always found it uncomfortable how much he used to really over-egg how much he couldn't stand his kids; but now I've changed my view and I think it is just a comedic shtick, which he probably felt more able to get away with because, as is now very evident, he so clearly dotes on them.

I genuinely feel that Romesh plays a lot on his background of being just an ordinary bloke, who will often say dull and even embarrassing dad-joke-style things - even though he is actually (imho) a very talented and funny comedian and presenter.

A lot of comedians tried making their unfunny parent famous.

Didn't you say in an earlier post 'im sure he's a very nice person ' or something to that effect 🤔....You know you can always turn the TV over to another channel

But I watched Michael McIntyre's 25 Years in Showbiz show (or called something like that) and I laughed so much I was nearly sick!

That's another interesting example where comedy is so very subjective too. As a family, we all like Michael in most programmes and laugh a lot; but that one particular special left us all completely cold throughout.

I don’t think children - even as adults - can happily listen to their parents shit on them. I mean your parents are meant to be the two people you can rely on in this world- not someone that makes a comedy routine out of how much he dislikes you. Even if it’s ’a joke’ it’s not funny

I read it as comedy (which it is) so differently to you.

I agree. As I say, that was the one thing that I really found uncomfortable about him when he used to do it quite a lot.

I don't think he's at all funny. Bill Bailey is the funniest and most clever comedian I've seen. And Eddie Izzard was top of my list of funniest ever until he became a lot less funny in recent times

Comedy shouldn’t be cruel though

Your question may have been answered, I can't be arsed reading 5 pages, however he's all over the TV because they keep offering and it pays very well.

His stand up is funny as fuck. He's up there with Gervais and Bridges in that respect.

Actually thinking of changing my handle to FatPumPum 😂

Channels put presenters on contract nowadays and put them on different projects.

I like him but understand that we can't like everyone on telly, obviously.

I find Davina so annoying but everyone else seems to love her.

Presumably you understand that different people like different things?

I'm imagining Romesh starting this post to get some feedback! Fishing for compliments.

I think he's perfect on The Weakest Link.

Anne Robinson used to make it all completely about her and really hyped up the nasty 'act' - except I think it's now clear as day that it was never an act at all. A lot of the things she said to contestants - not even celebrities who were used to being on TV and held some balance of power, but just ordinary members of the public in probably their one and only time ever on TV - were utterly vile and pure bullying.

Her mercifully-short stint on Countdown would appear to bear this out - and I think she felt very threatened working alongside two such incredibly strong, confident and intelligent no-nonsense women on the show that she almost imploded in her own hatred.

By contrast, Romesh happily takes a back seat and realises that the focus is on the celebrity contestants and not him. He's very quick with the gentle teasing, but there's no nastiness whatsoever. It isn't the AR-style "You are pathetic and stupid, so allow me to make you feel thoroughly ashamed of yourself"; rather it's the friendly "Oh, mate, what were you thinking?!"

I turn over whenever he is on but I do that with a fair few comedians. I find RR boring and a bit smug. He never makes me laugh. He’s better on radio but not much. I watch lots of live comedy and it’s so hard to work out why you find some comedians funny and other comedians unfunny. Some are quick witted on game shows but can’t do a live show and other are brilliant live but unnoticeable and flat on tv.

This is a bit of an unpleasant thread. Romesh seems like a lovely bloke to me - very witty and funny. I love his podcast.

My son and his Gf bought us tickets to go and watch him, they’d enjoyed it greatly - we left at the interval !! I can’t stand rocky gervais either and I did email the bbc to complain about him once

I think Romesh is really funny! He has a very dry, sarcastic sense of humour. He is a bit awkward & self depreciating but very good at observational humour.

Different folks find different comics funny. I think Alan Carr is brilliant but my parents can't abide his voice. Jasper Carrot was brilliant back in the day doing stand up. My friend rates Michael Mcintyre but I just don't find him funny.

I paid money to go see Ricky Gervais and it was a huge disappointment. Mildly amusing at best.

Romesh ticks certain boxes, which is why he gets so much TV work. I agree he's not particularly funny. He's similar to Mo Gilligan, although the public seem to have got fed up with Mo as he's hardly on TV any more thankfully.

I think Joe Lycett is not as funny as he used to be. Stewart Lee is an unfunny, misogynist dickhead, Maisie Adams doesn’t even make me smile, let alone laugh and Lou Sanders is a bit over rated.

Roisin Conaty, Joe Wilkinson and Richard Ayoade are bloody brilliant though.

It’s all subjective.

Ricky Gervais isn’t my favourite but as he is someone who is very quite witted I booked to see his latest show. I thought it was awful. He was pathetic. I was embarrassed for him. I’ve no problem with controversial or risqué content but it has to be funny.

Bill Bailey is truly fantastic. I once watched him ride around a venue in Brighton on a Corby Trouser Press, then do the banjo tune from Deliverance with a load of sitar playing musicians in full Indian finery. It was wonderful.

Agree. Bill Bailey is an absolute genius and has been since he started.

Eddie Izzard was so funny and then suddenly....wasnt. Dont know what happened. Cant remember the tour names but he did three that were brilliant and then his fourth was just.....meh. Not offensive but just not that funny.

I ended up at an Al Murray "Pub Landlord" show about 20 years ago and it was....not my kind of thing but ok I guess. But the warm up act was amazing, really really good. Then I saw Russell Howard on TV and realised it was him!

It's not very deep. Enough people find him likable/funny/entertaining to make it worthwhile him presenting a number of shows. It's like Holly W - another supposedly divisive presenter. TV companies use the presenters they think will get them the most viewers for the format. Some people don't like them, that's fine... But no point in wondering why oh why is person I don't like getting work. They getting work because they're bankable.