Radio 2 star Romesh Ranganathan details his battle with suicidal thoughts as he reveals he ran the London Marathon to raise funds and awareness for mental health

Romesh Ranganathan has opened up about his psychological well being, as he defined serving to others to take care of their very own points motivated him to participate within the London Marathon on Sunday.

The comic, 46, has been left suicidal prior to now having been via some extremely turbulent occasions. 

And he challenged himself to run the Marathon in assist of psychological well being charity CALM (Marketing campaign Towards Dwelling Miserably).

The BAFTA award winner has been a patron of the charity since October 2023 after revealing his personal battle.

Talking to Gabby Logan on BBC Sport forward of the race, Romesh defined his motivation for working.

The comic, 46, has been left suicidal prior to now having been via some extremely turbulent occasions

He challenged himself to run the Marathon in assist of psychological well being charity CALM (Marketing campaign Towards Dwelling Miserably)

He stated: ‘I’ve talked about it just a few occasions, I got here near taking my very own life prior to now and it is one thing I really feel strongly about by way of psychological well being points.

‘And Calm is a extremely nice charity for elevating consciousness and so it was each about elevating the cash and simply elevating the notice of the work that they do, in order that’s why I am working.’

Romesh added that he can be matching the cash donated, saying: ‘And, I do wish to say, no matter donations I get I will match them.’

He then hurriedly added: ‘To a restrict clearly, I do not wish to lose my home over this.’

Gabby requested: ‘What’s your restrict?’ inflicting the comedian to confess: ‘I do not know, let’s simply see what occurs!’

The sports activities presenter cheekily teased: ‘Did you say 1,000,000 to me earlier than?’ inflicting Romesh to snort and rapidly deny: ‘No Gabby I did not say that!’

Talking about what time he hoped to finish the race in, Romesh quipped: ‘My goal time is to complete whereas the roads are nonetheless closed. That’s the intention for me, if I get that, that is me completed.’ 

Sharing his coaching together with his followers over on Instagram earlier than Sunday’s most important occasion, Romesh admitted: ‘I stated I’d by no means run a marathon however right here I’m. 

Talking to Gabby Logan on BBC Sport forward of the race, Romesh defined his motivation for working and added that he can be matching the cash donated

He then hurriedly added: ‘To a restrict clearly, I do not wish to lose my home over this’ as Gabby cheekily teased: ‘Did you say 1,000,000 to me earlier than?’ inflicting Romesh to rapidly deny: ‘No Gabby I did not say that!’

‘I’m undecided the place I’d be at present if I didn’t get assist once I hit all-time low. Actually, I don’t know if I’d be right here in any respect. 

‘So, I wish to assist to ensure extra folks learn about CALM’s life-saving providers, in addition to elevating as a lot cash as I can.’

Final February, Romesh admitted he has often considered taking his personal life because of a ‘horrific’ voice in his head. 

Showing on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he mentioned the challenges he is confronted via out his life, whereas including that they have offered him with limitless materials for his sell-out exhibits.

Through the intimate dialog, Romesh stated: ‘I used to be serious about taking my very own life often, and I might fantasise about it…

‘I feel that each one comedians are wired barely in another way. They’ve had one thing occur to them that has made them an outsider not directly.’

Talking on his profitable profession as a comic, he stated: ‘I am hooked on doing stand-up. And it makes me higher at all the things.

‘However… I’ve obtained this interior voice that’s horrific. It should say, “you are not an excellent Dad, you are not an excellent husband.”

Final February, Romesh admitted he has often considered taking his personal life because of a ‘horrific’ voice in his head (pictured in 2022)

Showing on The Diary of a CEO podcast (pictured), he mentioned the challenges he is confronted via out his life, whereas including that they’ve offered him with limitless materials for his sell-out exhibits 

‘I had a run of about six panel exhibits, and I used to be in a extremely unhealthy place, and I turned as much as every one among them with the steadfast perception that I used to be sh*t at this’

When requested what occurs when it goes improper on stage, he added: ‘It is horrible. That silence… That by no means will get simpler, man.

‘However you be taught extra from these gigs. I simply must do the very best I probably can at this gig, I am not accountable for something that occurs after that.’

‘Do not take into consideration this purpose down the road that you just’re attempting to get to. Do that factor brilliantly, and for those who love what you do and also you do this, you are on a very good path.’

Romesh has additionally insisted that humour needs to be used extra to assist folks folks get via their psychological well being struggles.

His father Ranga left their mom Shanthi when the comedian was simply 12 and he and his brother Dinesh had been pressured to maneuver from Reigate Grammar Faculty to a neighborhood complete when their father was jailed for fraud.

Their household house was repossessed and Romesh and his mom had been pressured to reside in a B&B for 18 months, earlier than lastly being discovered a council home.

Upon his launch Ranga began working a pub in Grinstead, East Sussex, however then instantly died from a coronary heart assault.

Romesh has additionally insisted that humour needs to be used extra to assist folks folks get via their psychological well being struggles (pictured in 2020) 

His father Ranga left their mom Shanthi when the comedian was simply 12 and he and his brother Dinesh had been pressured to maneuver from Reigate Grammar Faculty to a neighborhood complete when their father was jailed for fraud (pictured with Shanthi in 2022)

Whereas Romesh and his brother later fell out, the funnyman claims it was his sibling’s humour that helped him within the fast days after his father’s demise.

Talking about his psychological well being struggles on the Unique Penguin X Marketing campaign Towards Dwelling Miserably Underneath The Floor podcast in March 2023, Romesh stated: ‘Generally you should utilize humour to deflect and that’s one thing to pay attention to. 

‘I feel it may be actually helpful. I’ve a really darkish sense of humour, and my household have a really darkish sense of humour. 

‘For instance, when my dad handed away, my brother got here house and located my dad collapsed after he had a coronary heart assault and handed away. 

‘I turned up and instantly began crying and the subsequent day we had been spherical at my mum’s home and coping with the aftermath of that and folks coming spherical. 

‘My brother subjected me to a ten minute roast concerning the sounds I make once I cry.  And we had been correctly laughing about it. 

‘He goes, “Pay attention man, we’ve obtained to speak about a few of the sounds that you just had been making, it was mad! I’ve by no means heard noises like that come out of an individual!”, and we simply began laughing about it. 

‘And I do know it sounds tremendous darkish, however that just about felt cathartic. We had been going via this horrible factor, however you’ll be able to nonetheless discover mild in it and we are able to nonetheless joke.’

Whereas Romesh and his brother later fell out, the funnyman claims it was his sibling’s humour that helped him within the fast days after his father’s demise 

Romesh beforehand labored as a instructor however gave up his job to pursue stand-up comedy as a profession.

The star insists humour can go a protracted method to serving to folks get via their most troublesome occasions. 

He defined: ‘I speak about my psychological well being on stage and you’ll speak about all issues – race, homophobia, or no matter you wanna speak about – however by making jokes about it, you’ll be able to convey it into the dialog. 

‘I speak about psychological well being very brazenly in my stand-up, and I do it as a result of I’ve humorous issues to say about it, not another purpose. 

‘However the hope is that however normalising chatting about it, the staple of getting a prostate examination has been a staple of comedians for therefore a few years, why goes and having remedy not a staple of stand-up? It’s one thing we needs to be speaking about simply as brazenly and readily.

‘I feel that there’s a double-edged sword to it. I feel that in some methods humour is a superb coping mechanism, however in different methods is somebody utilizing humour as a coping mechanism as a result of there’s one thing occurring and one thing to pay attention to.’

Romesh beforehand labored as a instructor however gave up his job to pursue stand-up comedy as a profession and insists humour can go a protracted method to serving to folks get via their most troublesome occasions (pictured in 2022)