Radio 2 star Romesh Ranganathan details his battle with suicidal thoughts as he reveals he ran the...

Romesh Ranganathan has discussed his mental wellbeing, revealing that his desire to assist individuals coping with similar struggles encouraged him to compete in the London Marathon this past weekend.

The comic, who is 46 years old, has experienced extremely rough patches in the past that have left them feeling hopeless and having thoughts of suicide.

He decided to undertake the challenge of participating in the Marathon to support the charitable cause of promoting mental health awareness and helping to prevent suicide by supporting CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).

The individual who won the BAFTA award has been supporting the charity as a patron since October 2023, after sharing their personal struggle.

Romesh shared his reason for participating in the race during his conversation with Gabby Logan on BBC Sport.

In a recent blog post, Romesh Ranganathan revealed his thoughts on mental health and how it influenced his decision to participate in the London Marathon last weekend. He shared that his desire to assist others in coping with their own struggles is what gave him the drive to run.

The comedian, who is 46 years of age, has experienced some extremely tumultuous periods in the past which have left them feeling suicidal.

He decided to push himself to take part in a Marathon and raise funds for the mental health organization CALM, which stands for Campaign Against Living Miserably.

He stated: "I have discussed this matter on a few occasions, and there was a moment in my life when I contemplated ending it all. Therefore, mental health problems are an issue that I am deeply passionate about."

Calm is an amazingly admirable organization that focuses on raising public consciousness. My motivation for running doesn't solely revolve around fundraising, but also about spreading the word about the important work they do.

Romesh stated that he will be equalizing the amount of money given as a donation, expressing, "I also want to mention that I will be matching any donations that I receive."

After that, he quickly said, 'But there's a boundary, of course. I don't want to risk my home because of this.'

Gabby questioned about a threshold, leading the stand-up comedian to confess their uncertainty and suggesting to wait and watch.

The presenter of the sports show playfully ribbed Romesh by saying, "Were you just saying you'd give me a million bucks?" This made Romesh chuckle and rapidly reply, "Oh no, Gabby, I never said that!"

Romesh joked about his expected completion time for the race, stating that he aimed to finish before the roads are opened. He declared that his ultimate goal was accomplished if he managed to achieve that.

Romesh took to his Instagram account to share his training routine with his followers ahead of the upcoming main event on Sunday. He confessed that he had previously expressed his reluctance to run a marathon, but has now committed himself to the task.

During an interview with Gabby Logan on BBC Sport before the race, Romesh shared his reasons for participating and confirmed that he would be contributing an equal amount to the total amount donated.

Afterwards, he quickly stated, 'But there is a boundary, of course. I don't want to risk my abode due to this.' Gabby amusingly quipped, 'Did you mention a million to me earlier?' This led Romesh to promptly refute, 'No Gabby, I did not say that!'

If someone hadn't assisted me when I was at my lowest point, I'm uncertain of my current location. There's even a chance that I wouldn't exist anymore.

Therefore, my aim is to assist in spreading awareness about CALM's crucial services and also to generate as much funds as possible.

In February of last year, Romesh came forward and shared that he frequently has thoughts of suicide because of a disturbing voice that he hears in his head.

During his appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he talked about the difficulties that he has encountered throughout his lifetime. Additionally, he remarked that these challenges have given him an abundance of material for his popular performances.

While having a personal discussion, Romesh shared that he used to contemplate suicide often and even imagined it...

In my opinion, every comedian has a unique perspective due to their past experiences. They may have gone through a situation that separated them from the norm in some way.

When discussing his prosperous career in comedy, he declared that he has a strong addiction to performing stand-up comedy. Additionally, he believes that this passion enhances his abilities in all areas.

However, I hear a negative inner voice that is terrible. It echoes phrases like "you're a bad father" and "you're a bad spouse."

In February of this year, Romesh disclosed that he had been frequently considering the possibility of ending his life because of an extremely distressing voice that he hears in his mind (as seen in the image from 2022).

During his appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast (as shown in the picture), he talked about the difficulties he has encountered throughout his life. Notably, he mentioned that these challenges have given him an abundance of content for his successful shows.

I participated in approximately six panel shows in a row, but I was feeling extremely awful about my performance. Each time, I arrived with the conviction that I was utterly terrible at it.

When questioned about mishaps during a performance, he responded, "It's a dreadful feeling. The abrupt lack of noise... It's something that never becomes less difficult."

'However, I gain greater knowledge and experience from performing at these shows. My sole focus at this particular performance is to give it my all, but whatever occurs thereafter is out of my hands.'

Instead of fixating on the ultimate goal, focus on doing each task exceptionally well. If you have a passion for what you're doing and strive for excellence in each step, you'll be heading towards success.

Romesh has emphasized on the significance of humor to support individuals in dealing with their mental health challenges.

When the protagonist was only 12 years old, his father Ranga left his mother Shanthi. Due to his father's imprisonment for fraud, the protagonist and his brother Dinesh had to leave their school, Reigate Grammar School, and enroll in a nearby public school.

Romesh and his mother lost their family residence due to repossession and had to reside in a B&B for 18 months. They were eventually granted a council house as their new living quarters.

After being freed, Ranga began operating a bar in Grinstead, situated in East Sussex. However, he unfortunately passed away due to a heart attack without any warning.

In the year 2020 picture, it can be seen that Romesh believes that humour can be effectively utilized to help individuals overcome their mental health issues. He firmly believes that more emphasis should be given to the use of humour in this context.

When the comedian was only twelve years old, his father Ranga abandoned his mother Shanthi, resulting in his younger brother Dinesh and him being compelled to relocate from Reigate Grammar School to a nearby comprehensive school. Their father was subsequently incarcerated for fraud. (As seen in the 2022 photo with Shanthi.)

Although Romesh and his brother had a falling out at a later time, the comedian contends that his brother's sense of humor provided him with much-needed support in the aftermath of his father's passing.

In March 2023, Romesh talked about his mental health challenges on the Original Penguin X Campaign Against Living Miserably Under The Surface podcast. He shared that there are instances when humor can serve as a distraction mechanism and it's important to recognize when this happens.

In my opinion, it has great potential for usefulness. My sense of humor leans towards the darker side, and the same can be said for my family.

Take this scenario: Following my dad's demise, my brother returned home and discovered him lying on the ground, having succumbed to a cardiac arrest.

As soon as I arrived, tears began streaming down my face. The following day, we visited my mother's place to cope with the aftermath and visitors who came to check up on us.

My sibling made fun of the noises that I produce while weeping for ten long minutes. Despite that, we both found it amusing and had a good laugh about it.

He said, "Hey, we need to discuss the sounds you were producing, they were insane! I've never heard anyone make noises like that!" Then, we both burst out laughing.

I am aware that it may appear very gloomy, but it actually gave us a sense of relief. Despite experiencing something terrible, we found a way to see the positive side and even managed to make light-hearted jokes about it.

Romesh had a disagreement with his brother in the past, but he acknowledges that his brother's sense of humor provided him comfort during the initial period of mourning following their father's passing.

Beforehand, Romesh was employed as an educator, however, he resigned from his position to follow his passion for stand-up comedy as his profession.

The celebrity emphasizes that being able to laugh can greatly assist individuals in enduring their toughest moments.

He stated that during his performances, he discusses his mental wellbeing. Additionally, he believes that any topic can be addressed, including issues such as discrimination based on race or sexuality. Through the use of humor, he aims to introduce these conversations into the spotlight.

When making jokes on stage, I openly discuss mental health, but not for any particular motive aside from having humorous material to share on the topic.

The expectation is that by making it a regular topic of conversation, going for prostate exams, which has been a common theme among comedians for a long time, should also be a common theme in stand-up comedy. Why isn't seeking therapy something we talk about as comfortably and frequently? This is a topic that should be discussed in the same open and welcoming manner.

I believe that there are pros and cons to using humor as a coping mechanism. On one hand, humor can be a helpful way to deal with difficult situations. On the other hand, sometimes people use humor to distract themselves from deeper issues that they need to work through. It's important to be mindful of this and address any underlying problems.

Before, Romesh was employed as a professor, however, he decided to quit his profession and focus on stand-up comedy as his livelihood. He firmly believes that laughter can be a powerful tool to aid individuals in coping with their most challenging moments. In 2022, you can see him in the picture.