Mad, Sad and Bad with Paloma Faith - Romesh Ranganathan (with Pam & Shanthi): Why Is Parenting So Hard?! | MAD, SAD & BAD MOMENTS

Episode Date: October 21, 2026

Pam & Shanthi join me to talk about watching their children, Romesh and me, face public scrutiny, raising us as single parents and why they never warned us parenting was so difficult! From navigating infidelity with kids to the power of education, I’m revisiting this honest conversation as one of my favourite moments from Mad, Sad & Bad.Watch the full episode HERE:Exec Producer: Jemima RathboneProducer: Magda CassidyEdit Producer: Pippa BrownEditor: Shane O’ByrneVideo: Jake Ji & Lizzie McCarthyVideo Editor: Josh BennettSenior Social Media Manager: Laura CoughlanOriginal music: BUTCH PIXYExec Producers for Idle Industries: Dave Granger & Will Macdonald Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's me, Paloma Faith. As I look back at Mad Sad and Bad, I'm reminded that behind every person is a story we don't always get to hear. Before the lovely Ramesh Rangelathan joined me on the show, his mum popped over for a chat with me and my mum to talk about the hardships of raising a family as a single mother and how she managed. Here's a bit of that conversation and feel free to catch up on my entire chat with Ramesh any time you like. Because I have my mum sometimes on my podcast and Ramesh is on this episode, I just thought it would be a missed opportunity. If I didn't have the two mums, Pam and Shanti, together, both have experience what it's like to have a really close relationship with your children because of what you've both been through together. But also because you've both got children who are in the public eye.

And I think that sort of poses some difficulties sometimes. Is it difficult to watch an adult child make mistakes? Yes, I do find it difficult to accept that. Yeah, because when he makes something wrong or it upset me, it will take two, three days for me to digest. What kind of mistakes have you been worried about? If I read about romance that he has been ruled to somebody and the comments comes you know, or you're rubbish or something like that.

It hurts me. My mum goes on my social media and answers people, don't you? I do. She fights for me. I asked Ramesh, he said, don't ever do them. Well, she doesn't ask me permission for anything. I don't do it a lot, but I do, I think it's really outrageous. Do you feel protective?

I am, always, always. But do you think sometimes that Ramesh has been rude to people and then you've told him you shouldn't have said that. Yes, I have, I have. I wouldn't accept that if Romit is rude to somebody, no. But I think they get carried away. I mean, we might get carried away on this. Never know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm just like, you're going to say. I just took Parisita wall to calm me down. Yeah, I know. I'm all, I know. I know. And I was so excited. Oh, it's not me.

popular. I love a song. That's lovely. Really so. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's really nice to hear. Paracetable, does it come you? It just can't meet.

Does it? No pain. No pain. That's like a placebo there that is. Yeah. You must have it. You used to take anadine for everything when I was going up. If we had a problem, she'd just go, I'm having an anadine.

But it wouldn't even be that she had a headache or anything. But you're like that with singing, aren't you? You must have your. singing lesson with your guy from LA. Yeah, I say I can't do the show. Just calm you down. That's right. He gives you all the support. I love how you're both just pushing over the counter drugs. We can be an advert.

Horaceed to all and Anadine. That'd be great, won't it? Take one for your stress. Yes. Yeah. Hello. Guess what? What? Your mum's here.

What? Your mom's here. Why? having a chat with my mum. Why? Is that weird? Yeah, it is really weird. Come in?

Well, we live five minutes, Rachel. What? Why is she here? She just came for a little chat with me first. Is that not? Okay, is it awkward now? Well, it's really, you're filming this, aren't you? So I've got to have to, no, it's cool.

It's cool. I'm really happy with it. Don't you love your mum? Yeah, I do, but I don't like... Come through. It's nice to do stuff for my own, do you? I mean, I'm only going to accuse of you to her. How do I do this, but I just turn it off it?

Turn it off. Romesh. Romay? Could you turn your mom's phone on silence? She's worried. In her bag? Your handbag. Yes?

Yeah, so what's wrong? You never send your children's photograph. No, he doesn't die. Ready? Why didn't you tell either of us how difficult it would be to be a parent? Although it's difficult, it's such a joy. Yeah. So you would never put anyone off that, would you?

No, no. And also with the grandchildren, oh my God. Oh, they're lovely. Oh, my. Do you prefer the grandchildren to the children? No, I prefer my children there. Your own children. She prefers the grandchildren.

Your mom gone through, but I had a very, very extremely difficult life from 95 to when Auntie Romance became famous. He was studying. Yeah. I had so many problems with my husband. And I couldn't give all the love which I had in my heart to Ramesh and my son, other son. I regret now. So I'm trying, because they missed out that. Was that because you were just working holding everything?

My husband was having an affair with everybody. Yeah. So that sounds similar. Very similar. Yes. Yes. Very similar. Any woman he sees, he jumps.

Yeah. Yeah. It was a similar situation. So for that, I have to protect my children even now. They went through that. We had so many financial difficulties and everything. Sometimes we don't have food to eat at home. Yeah.

So we all went through three of us. So now they could have had it. They were 10 and 12 at that time. Yeah. And I couldn't give so much. When your husband left went to prison, didn't you? Went to prison. Yeah.

And he moved. moved in with another woman. Yeah. And he left us alone. So I had to find the money. I have to do cleaning. I have to do so many things to bring food home. Yeah.

So I couldn't give all the love which I had bottled in to my boys. What are you most worried about for your children? Were you have two and you have one? My God. When I go, I leave this earth, who is going to look after that? That's right. I wrote that to my friend today Did you?

I said the thing that really worries me the most and that could make me cry is how are they going to manage? How they are going to manage? Because through prayers I protect them your mum will do the same You'll protect you

You don't realise that But she'll be saying Oh please look after my daughter I'm mighty pub We both seem like we're doing okay Yeah I don't think you've got much to worry No but the state of the world

Is not okay is it No And I don't know how anyone can combat that. Because I struggle with that. Without a house, with no money, no food, I don't want anybody else to go through that. I don't wish it on anyone. Because I could have killed myself, you know, thinking about it.

So stressful, yeah. So my mind was telling, educate them, educate them, educate them, educate them. That's what you were like. Yeah. She was just like education. That's how you escaped as well, isn't it? education, but that was in the day when education was really revered, I think. That's, yeah.

I don't think it is as much in this country now. No, no, no. I think it's a bit sad. It is sad. I mean, even the children are taking calculators home to do the sums. Those days, you don't have that. Yeah. My mom's always doing that to my daughter, and she has faith, she's like, when she's like,

what's two plus six? She gets all stressed. She's like, you should know that. And then she's like, but I've got a calculator. I think, you know. Oh, can't I'm sorry. I'm talking about!