Actress Erin Doherty has unveiled an unexpected connection to one of Britain's most popular comedians, Romesh Ranganathan. The star, known for her role in Netflix's 'Adolescence', revealed that the funnyman was once her head of sixth form during his previous career as a maths teacher.
An Unlikely School Link
Speaking in a new interview with Sky News to promote the second season of the Disney+ series 'A Thousand Blows', the 33-year-old actress shared the surprising detail. She explained that Romesh Ranganathan served as her head of year at Hazelwick School in Three Bridges, Crawley.
Erin confirmed she never had him as a maths teacher, though her sister did. However, their paths did cross in a more formal setting. The actress recounted a specific incident where she was removed from her English Literature class for not completing the required reading.
"Basically I got kicked off of English lit because I didn't read any of the books," Erin said. "And they pulled me, and I think it was my dad, in. So we had a chat with Romesh Ranganathan when he was just Mr Ranganathan."
From Classroom to Celebrity
This amusing school memory highlights Ranganathan's life before comedy fame. Erin described the encounter as her "little weird crossing of paths" with the now-celebrated comedian. When asked if they had reconnected since both finding success in the entertainment industry, she replied, "No and I want to! But yeah it's kind of cool."
Hazelwick School has a notable history of producing famous alumni. Alongside Doherty and Ranganathan (as a former teacher), other well-known figures who studied there include former England football manager Gareth Southgate, news presenter Dan Walker, and 'The X Factor' star Chico.
Award Success and A Telling-Off
The revelation comes fresh from Erin's recent triumph at the Critics Choice Awards, where she won Best Supporting Actress for 'Adolescence'. The Netflix limited series itself scooped four awards in total.
However, her victory speech led to a stern reprimand from a very important critic: her mother. Appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Erin explained that after winning an Emmy and using strong language in her acceptance speech, her mum gave her a telling-off during a family Facetime call.
"My mum just butts her head in and it's like 'can I just interrupt? I could have done without swearing,'" Erin recalled. "She wasn't like 'well done'... she was just like 'Erin, you really kind of messed up there.'" The actress joked that this maternal feedback was likely why she kept her Critics Choice speech brief.
With a potential Golden Globes win on the horizon this month, the actress admitted she doesn't "really know what's going to come out of my mouth", hinting that another unfiltered moment could be in store.
