Romesh Ranganathan's life-changing health condition aged three and devastating family loss

Romesh Ranganathan is one of the country's top comedians - but how much do you know about his life? The comedian has had a wide-ranging career since bursting into the public eye with his deadpan standup.

He has gone on to present his own comedy programmes Judge Romesh and The Ranganation, as well as starring in the travel programme The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. He is also the host of quiz show The Weakest Link and tonight returns to our screens with his new ITV game show Romesh Ranganathan's Parent's Evening.

It sees celebrities teaming up with members of their family to win money for charity, with proceedings overseen by Romesh and his mum Shanthi. Romesh, 46, lives in Crawley with his wife Leesa and their three children.

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But what else do we know about the comedian's life? Below we look at the health condition that changed his life age three, and a devastating family loss that had a profound effect on the star.

Romesh Ranganathan's health condition

Romesh suffers from ptosis in his right eye, which is a drooping eyelid. It was caused by a serious eye infection when he was just three years old.

Referring to the fact he has a lazy eye, he previously spoke about how he wouldn't be copying Anne Robinson's iconic wink as he took over The Weakest Link. He said: "The honest truth is, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room, I always look like I’m midway through a wink - at all times.

“I did think about it. We talked about it at the beginning but there are certain things that Anne did that were textbook her, and so I just made sure I didn’t do. You want to do it in your own way. "

Romesh Ranganathan's 'rock bottom' after devastating loss

Romesh was seriously affected by his father Ranga's death. He passed away in 2011 from a heart attack, having been found on the floor by Romesh's brother Dinesh.

When he was 12, his accountant father's spiralling debts resulted in the family home being repossessed. He then left his wife and sons to set up home with another woman.

Shanthi, Romesh and his brother Dinesh ended up sharing one bedroom in a B&B while they waited for a council house, and Shanthi took on a plethora of jobs to keep the wolf from the door.

"It changed my attitude to things," Ranganathan, 40, reflects. "I'd taken things for granted. We ended up going to rock bottom and you have to make your way back up."

Ranga was later arrested for fraud. He was given a two-year jail sentence. The family spent their Sundays travelling to see him in Ford open prison in West Sussex.

"It was horrific," Ranganathan recalled. "The house gets repossessed, I get taken out of (private) school, then my dad goes to prison. Those experiences definitely had a profound effect on me."

Romesh Ranganathan's Parents' Evening airs on ITV1 tonight at 9.10pm.