Drag Queens, Peer Pressure and What To Watch

0:00You look so good now. The selection of clothes, beautiful. Who selected it?

0:08Romesh Ranganathan:Me. Nah. Who selected yours? Me? Nah. See, it hurts, doesn't it? Doesn't hurt me. Ready? Yeah.

0:31With me, Shanti.

0:35Romesh Ranganathan:Liquoring piece It's time for the Thursday edition Of the Romesh Ranga fucking Nathan show A couple of people have commented That I shouldn't swear in front of you In front of me? I don't mind But if people don't like it Especially Sri Lankans, they are saying that There's no respect for your mother That's what it is And what do we say to them? Fuck you Every Thursday we discuss Monday's episode and answer your questions. You can ask us anything, can't you, Mum? Of course, anything. Yeah. We are open to it. Yeah. Yeah, ask anything. Yeah, you're right. I'm fine, I'm fine. You look like you wanted to cross your legs and then thought better of it.

1:17Yeah, because I don't, yeah. I can, can I?

1:19Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, I don't know, can you? Yeah, I can. Thank you. Okay, good. And what do you do? You got an imaginary cat? No. Okay. Every Thursday we discuss Monday's episode and answer your questions. Jones, you can ask, oh I've already said that bit. As always I'm joined by my mother Shanti Ranganada and the team. Somebody said I saw a comment saying they're getting used to the disembodied voices. So that's nice, isn't it? That's good. And it has to be nice because trust me, you don't want to see them. You know, pardon? It's like looking directly into the sun.

2:00Romesh Ranganathan:Mum, how are you enjoying the summer? So much I'm enjoying. Yeah. I love my garden. Yeah. Morning I go and have a coffee there. Yeah. Sometimes two cups of coffee. Jesus. Look at my garden and I think how blessed I am. Yeah. And the little birds run around. Really enjoying the summer. Do you mind when it gets really hot? I don't mind at all. I will never complain because I don't know how long it's going to last. So make the most of it and enjoy. Enjoy it. While you can. It's clearly a sign of us abusing the environment. It's probably another indicator that we're on our way out. But might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

2:44Romesh Ranganathan:It's going to get better before it gets worse. Glasgow is like the Bermudas right now. And it's cool. And it's all because we keep burning tires. Mum, some people listen to the show as they wake up. Yeah. Could you introduce the show by pretending you're a talking alarm clock? Okay. I'll try my best. Okay, go for it.

3:06Good morning. Wake up. Time to get up and wash yourself and enjoy. Okay? Have a wonderful, blessed day. Ring, ring. Yeah.

3:25Romesh Ranganathan:Really good. That was great. Thank you. And now for a special part of today's show, Stories That Make You Feel, and it's brought to you by Hulu on Disney+. I love it when a series or film gets you right in the feels, like Only Murders in the Building, which we talked about last time. But now it's time for me and my mum to dig in some more Hulu stories that have really made us feel good.

3:50Romesh Ranganathan:And today we are talking about Alice and Steve. Okay. Alice and Steve is a show about two people who are in their 50s, late 40s, 50s. And... Boy and a girl? Man and a woman. Okay. And they've been friends their whole lives. Okay. And the show starts, the beginning of the series, he goes back to her house after they have a night out. Yeah. And her daughter has come back. She's just gone through a breakup. Uh-huh. And then he and the daughter, who's about 26, 27, sleep together. I thought, I imagine. Did you? That's the story about, yeah. Right. And then they decide to have a relationship. Yeah.

4:40Romesh Ranganathan:And then the show... Continues. Continues from that. Why couldn't she, my question is, why couldn't she find a younger man? I don't know. Just to reiterate, it's a comedy, it's not a documentary. It's fictional. Okay. What's your take? If he can satisfy her, why not? Have a good time. Okay. That's my thing. Do you think there's any, do you think it's a bit icky? It is an icky. Yeah. Now they have already. yeah what's the point talking about it let them enjoy do you think her mother has a right to be upset with him definitely definitely she will be heartbroken I mean she's in her 50s well she's not heartbroken in the show she's incredibly angry she starts doing some stuff not heartbroken I think she is heartbroken but that heartbreak manifests itself as fury but it's her daughter isn't it Yes.

5:41What can she do?

5:43Romesh Ranganathan:Well, she does a few things. I mean, she tries to split them up. Yeah? Was she successful? Well, you have to watch the show to find out, won't you? Yeah. So why did you ask me? I didn't ask you. Oh. I'm telling you about the show. Okay, right. And our friend Jermaine Clement is in it? Yeah, friend of the show Jermaine Clement is in it. Okay. Very good performance. Everyone's great in this show. Everyone's excellent. How am I missing all this, not to watch it? I think you're not regularly checking Hulu on Disney+. That's the problem. Yeah. I will watch Disney+. You should watch. From today. Yeah, please do.

6:21Every day.

6:23Romesh Ranganathan:You don't have to every day, but a lot of days you can do. We can do. There's nothing wrong. I'll fix the time and I'll watch it. Okay, every day. Every day. Yeah. It makes me happy. I'm living alone. Why not? If something interesting, I will watch it on Disney+. plus. Okay. Happy? Really happy. Okay, great. If that's got you in the mood and why wouldn't it have done to watch something that gets you laughing or cringing, make sure you check out A Lifetime of Great Stories with Hulu on Disney Plus. Copyright 2026. Disney and its related entities. 18 plus subscription required. Do you like the way I said that?

7:00I love it. I love it. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Trimphaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tremphaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tremphaya, proper training is required. Tremphaya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis, serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them and liver problems may occur.

7:43Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tremphaya today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit TremphayaRadio.com.

8:01Romesh Ranganathan:Now it's time for the listener questions. Questions from the listeners and the viewers. Not sure about that one. Someone suggested we should call this segment Questions with our Agony Shant. It sounds a lot like someone's followed through. But please do keep sending your WhatsApp messages and voice notes to 07731 623355 or email podcast at rangaby.com. And don't forget, if you haven't already, please like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We'd love you to like and subscribe, wouldn't we? wouldn't we of course we love it why would we like that actually I've never really understood well because then when people go to YouTube or they go to wherever they get their podcasts the episode is right there for them which means they're more likely to click it not miss it enjoy it it's also really cool when you've got a big number isn't it like 200 ,000 but that benefits us but I'm asking how it benefits them oh I don't know whatever John said I guess yeah okay alright so they get notified yeah but we've got like 200 ,000 now I know, but that's not what...

9:09Romesh Ranganathan:Somebody watching this doesn't give a shit about that, does it? So if you ask you how many you've got, you can go 200k. Well, if I'd say that, I'd have to immediately jump out of a window, I think. The main benefit is that when you then go on to whatever app you use... Imagine we get a million. Yeah. We will get it. We will get it. We could have a bit of our email signatures or something. What's it do, mate? Well, how long has it taken us to get to 200k? It's taken us almost a year. Almost a year. So we're looking at another four years, aren't we? if we carry on at this rate of growth, which is unlikely because there's an initial spike.

9:40Romesh Ranganathan:No, no, I think you're wrong. We're exponentially going to grow. We're exponentially going to grow? Yeah. Is that what you believe? Or does the data back that up? The data will back that up once we've done it. Okay. So anyway, we're on 200K. Like and subscribe to keep that number going up. Unclear on how it benefits you, but it benefits us loads. we've got an email from Shah and George hi Romesh and Shanti my boyfriend and I have been playing catch up on Rob and Romesh verses we're watching them in a random order and we're down to our last few today we watched your R &R versus drag episode and we cackled Romesh you were fantastic my question to you Romesh was is it the greatest fun you've ever had in your life and would you do it again and Shanti would you ever give being a drag king a go love the podcast Shah and George.

10:34Romesh Ranganathan:Mum, follow-up question. First of all, thank you so much for your email. I thought it was beautifully worded and you really got your points across really, really well. Did you watch the drag episode of Robin Romesh Versus? I must say I watched it, but I didn't know when you said the title. Robin Romesh Versus. Where was it filmed? Where was what filmed? Robin Romesh Well, there's been 48 episodes. It's difficult to answer that question. Is there a specific episode you'd like me to give you the location of? Yes, please. Well, I love all the Rob versus Romesh, isn't it? No. Rob and Romesh versus.

11:17Rob and Romesh versus.

11:19Romesh Ranganathan:Yeah, Rob versus Romesh is a much better show title. I think so. Anyway, I loved both of you. Make me laugh. So I watch everything. But if you ask me to that name I don't know but you're asking drag oh yes I love it was it in Brighton yeah okay so you've got all the answers I it you look great you look great it was a lot of fun but what did you do with your ding-dongs we had to tuck them was it painful mmm I would say uncomfortable after a while. Yes, eh? Okay. So what you have to do is, can we close up on, so what you do is you get your two fingers and you push your testicles back up inside yourself.

12:06Romesh Ranganathan:Oh my God. And then you take your... Into your anus. Into your anus? What?

12:16That's not that long.

12:37It was so sincere Not that Not that obviously

12:44Romesh Ranganathan:Somewhere else No For most people Beth That don't have Stretch Armstrong scrotum

13:06Oh my God.

13:23Romesh Ranganathan:Oh my God. Honestly, that hurts more than when I stop my nuts up my arsehole.

13:32Romesh Ranganathan:No, inside yourself. What? Back up. Back up. There's room for them to go back up. My God. They go back up. If they don't come down, what would we do? Oh, God knows. God. You just have to... Shake it out. Then you take the end of your penis. so you've got your two testicles push them back up then you take the end of your penis and then you pull it right back here and then tape it down and then you don't have like a little bump that's the second time you've done it as well did you do the tape? I did yeah in America so it's uncomfortable it's uncomfortable you look horrified I am anyway I tried it I wasn't doing it during the performance.

14:22Romesh Ranganathan:It was too difficult. But it was a lot of fun. I had prosthetic breasts and arse cheeks. And I would say during the dance performance, they weren't secured as well as I hoped they'd be. And so through a lot of that Nicki Minaj kind of number that I did, I was concerned that the whole thing was going to fall apart completely. So that was difficult. I remember the song, The Milk Board or something. What's that song? The Milk Board? In California, California. The milk board in California? No! The song they played for you to dance. Yeah. What's the song? Starships, wasn't it? No, no. Oh, no, you're right.

15:07Romesh Ranganathan:Milk board in California. I can't remember, actually. It was some Nicki Minaj song. Mum? Yes, son? Would you ever be a drag king? I would like to try. Yeah. Yeah. What would you wear, like a sparkly suit or something? Yeah, I will. How would you do your hair? I wear a wig. What sort of wig? Curly hair. Curly hair? Yeah, like you. Okay. Yeah. I'll copy you. All right. Well, that flew. Okay, so what would your drag name be, do you think? The man version of you? Shantarang. Shantarang. Sounds like a Skrillex song.

15:55Romesh Ranganathan:Shantarang. Shantarang. Okay. Mr. Shantarang. Okay, that sounds good. Not like Bob or anything? No, no, no. Stefan? No. Stephen. Uncle Shanti? Shanti's, I mean, in India, Shanti's a man name as well. Yeah. But I like the Shantarang. Shantarang. Shantarang. Shanti and Ranga. Thanks so much for your message, Shara and George. Look out for that. Yeah. Mum as Shantharang. Shantharang. We've got a voice note from Jessica now. This episode is brought to you by Didi's Discounts. Back to School Season is officially here and Didi's has everything on your list. I'm talking bold styles, cool kicks, backpacks and even dorm room essentials.

16:41All the prices that won't hurt your wallet. So don't sleep on Didi's. Whether you've got a second grader or a sophomore, Dee Dee's has your whole family covered. Find a Dee Dee's discount store near you and go check it out today.

16:56The perfect lunch combo. That first bite of your favorite sub followed by ice cold Pepsi. Add a couple of friends and now that's next level. Suddenly, the laughs get louder, the stories keep flowing, and the food tastes better. Because Pepsi brings out more flavor, more fun, and more of the moment. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a Pepsi Zero Sugar today. Hi, Ramesh and Shanti and Ben, Will and John. Basically, I have a query for all of you. Sure. So I am six weeks sober and I'm 22 years old. I'm 23 in the summer. and it's quite tricky to be like a young person who doesn't drink and luckily I have friends that aren't big drinkers but there's still a lot of pressure especially in the summer to you know drink and go to pubs and whatnot.

17:57I was wondering if you had any advice for me and as I know Ramesh you are also well you said recently that you had stopped drinking for the play that you were in and I was wondering if you had any words of wisdom for me to help me stay sober and yeah love you all very much and yes big hug

18:23Romesh Ranganathan:thank you so much for your voice note Jessica thank you big hug for you I've got to be honest with you I'm slightly surprised by this message because I thought young people weren't drinking anymore so because I mean Theo has been drinking actually. What does he drink? Rum and coke? No. He goes for rum and coke? Yeah. No. Ask him to start with the light drink. Like what? Like Prosecco or something like that. I would actually argue it's dangerous for him to ask for a Prosecco. You see? Yeah, I think so. What do you want to drink, mate? Could I have a Prosecco? Are you joking? What's wrong with Prosecco?

19:08Romesh Ranganathan:There's nothing wrong with it. It's delightful. It's actually quite debatable at the moment. Ben, would you ever drink a Prosecco? I'd drink a Prosecco, yeah. Oh, okay. That surprises me. I prefer Cremant if you're asking. I knew that. So everyone's banging on about Cremant. What's Cremant? It's a sparkling wine that's made in the same way that champagne is, but not from the region champagne. So it can't be called champagne. It's a high above everything. Yeah. It's the wanker's drink of choice. No, it's meant to be delicious. And the only reason I know this, I very recently found out about this from that guy, the online wine guy.

19:46Romesh Ranganathan:What's his name? Do you know who I'm talking about? No, Tom Gilby. Yes. Yeah. He taught me about Cremont. Why didn't you get me a bottle? I can do if you want. Please? Yeah, sure. I mean, it's£9 and you've got a shop near you, so it's not difficult. That's not expensive. No. Relatively expensive. Alcohol. It is. Okay. So if I go to a restaurant, I can ask for that? If it's on the menu. We can ask for it either way, I guess. Yeah, you can ask for whatever you want. You can ask for an elephant if you want. It's become more and more popular. What would you... This year, we'd... What would you... would you still prefer a champagne over Cremont?