“I realised I had an issue with my mobile phone use when a friend started explaining the virtues of the Fast 800 diet and, while still engaged in the conversation, I pulled out my phone and ordered the book before they had finished their sentence.”

British comedian, actor, and presenter

Romesh Ranganathan is a British comedian, actor, and presenter. Known for his deadpan, often self-deprecating style, he has built a career in stand-up and television. His comedy often returns to questions of identity, especially his own description of himself as a British “coconut”, a label he connects to being raised by his mother, Shanthi Ranganathan. That perspective gives much of his work its personal edge, with material shaped by family, culture, and the awkwardness of everyday life.