James Acaster: Hecklers, Mental Health & Stealing Romesh's Family

The Romesh Ranganathan Show

Ranga Bee & Platform Media

Society & Culture, Comedy

4.6 • 715 Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2026

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Comedian, musician and Off Menu podcast host James Acaster joins Romesh to talk about returning to stand-up, mental health… and why you definitely shouldn’t have an affair during a West End show. He pitches a new travel TV idea for Shanthi (very much without Romesh), and discusses his forthcoming album — a project 20 years in the making. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen. 00:00 Intro 00:10 Don't Have An Affair 01:50 James Roasts The Set 04:22 Unwanted Gifts 06:53 Stand Up, Ego & Expectations 16:00 Josie Long 22:50 Shanthi’s Question 26:35 Visiting Sri Lanka 27:12 Travel Show Idea 35:00 Misquoted 37:20 Mental Health 40:08 Romesh on Spiralling 44:57 Misquoted Continued 46:42 James' New Album 51:00 Turning 40 51:57 Future Plans 1:00:50 Off Menu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Jamie Lang and Sophie Haboo have arrived on Disney Plus.
0:04.0	We're having a baby.
0:06.0	We're having a baby.
0:07.0	I've always wanted to be mom.
0:09.0	And we're bringing you on our journey through everything.
0:12.0	I have no idea what we're doing.
0:13.0	Thank you. I have more of an idea.
0:15.0	I think of it like a Tamagocchi.
0:17.0	At the end of all of this...
0:20.0	We're going to have a little baby. Raising Chelsea, a Hulu
0:23.7	original series streaming exclusively on Disney Plus. 18 plus subscription required T's and T supply.
0:30.3	Oh, surely. Congrats on the West End. That's great. I think so fun. I think so. That's
0:35.8	what I decided to do it. I just thought it would be a fun, new thing to do it. Do the fuck says no to that? Yeah, yeah. Be would be so fun. I think so. That's what I decided to do it. I just sort of be a fun, new thing to do.
0:38.6	Who the fuck says no to that?
0:39.7	Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:40.6	Be careful.
0:50.1	You don't have an affair. That's what people in plays. People who are people in place, people who best in place have an affair. It's a big thing, mate. It's a known thing. They're not a phenomenon. They're getting a play, they have an affair, especially if you're playing, like, romantic interests.
0:54.8	You want to be careful, mate.
0:56.1	Okay.
0:56.8	Because you might have an affair, especially if you're playing, like, romantic interests. You want to be careful, mate. Okay. Because you might have an affair. I don't want to do that. We're good. That's a good start. Yeah. I think that's where a lot of people fall down. When they sort of go, when they go, I didn't want this to happen. Yeah. But actually, sort of went into it wanting to happen. I think that's where a lot of people fall down. When they go, when they go, I didn't want this to happen.
1:11.8	Yeah.
1:12.3	But actually sort of went into it wanting to happen.
	...

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