Ranj Singh
Ranj Singh | |
|---|---|
 Singh in an AstraZeneca flu vaccine video in 2021 | |
| Born | Ranjit Singh Sangha 26 June 1979 |
| Education | Gordon Junior School |
| Alma mater | Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine |
| Occupations | Doctor, television presenter |
| Employer(s) | ITV NHS |
| Spouse |
Sulvinder Samra
(m. 2005; div. 2011) |
| Partner | James Colebrook (2024–present) |
Ranjit "Ranj" Singh Sangha (born 26 June 1979), also commonly known as Dr Ranj,[1] is a British doctor, television presenter, author and columnist. He is best known as a celebrity dancer on the BBC One dance series Strictly Come Dancing, and co-creating and presenting the CBeebies show Get Well Soon from 2012 to 2015. He has also worked for ITV, on This Morning, as a resident doctor from 2016 to 2021, co-hosting Save Money: Good Health with Sian Williams[2] and winning Cooking with the Stars in 2022.
Early life and education
[edit]Ranj Singh was born on 26 June 1979 in Chatham, Kent, to Indian, traditional Sikh parents.[3][4][5] He has two brothers, Harminderjit and Jaskaranjit. As a child, he focused on schoolwork, gaining his first GCSE in the Punjabi language at just eight years old.[6][7][8] Singh attended Gordon Junior School in Strood before studying medicine at King's College London GKT School of Medical Education, where he qualified as a physician in 2003.[3][9]
Career
[edit]Singh is a National Health Service (NHS) clinician, starting his career at Medway Maritime Hospital as a specialist in paediatric emergency medicine.[3][10] Singh became a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2007.
His television career began in 2012, having become the presenter for Get Well Soon, a children's television show airing on CBeebies, which he co-created with Kindle Entertainment.[11][12] In 2016, the show received a children's BAFTA award in the Interactive – Adapted category.
Singh has become a prominent contributor to factual programming and documentaries, appearing on This Morning as a resident doctor and on 20 July 2018, he was a guest presenter on the show, alongside Vanessa Feltz.[13] He has also contributed to a range of other programmes such as Inside Out, 5 News and Good Morning Britain. Singh also appears regularly on various quiz shows and celebrity specials,[14] and in 2017, he won BBC's Pointless Celebrities, alongside physician Hilary Jones.
In August 2018, it was announced that Singh would be a contestant on the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.[15] He was partnered with Janette Manrara and was the sixth contestant to be eliminated.[16] Following his stint on Strictly, Singh became the host of his own medical advice show, Dr Ranj:ON Call, which began airing on ITV in March 2020.[17]
Outside of his work on television, Singh is the author of two children's educational books: Food Fuel[18] and Skelebones,[19] a Sunday Times bestselling cookbook.[20] Singh is a contributor to and columnist for Al Jazeera, Attitude magazine and NetDoctor.[21]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Singh stepped back from his media work to focus on supporting the NHS in his role as a paediatric emergency medicine specialist.[22] During the crisis, Singh regularly used his platform to debunk the rise in medical misinformation confusing parents and the general public,[23] being concerned that many are being "duped" by rumours, including from celebrities sharing "fake" information.[24]
Singh was one of the four competitors who took part in the Christmas special edition of The Great British Sewing Bee that was transmitted on Boxing Day 2020 on BBC One. His fellow competitors in the programme were Denise Van Outen, Shirley Ballas and Sara Pascoe.
In April 2021, Singh announced he would be appearing in his own West End musical for a new one-off show called Scrubs to Sparkles,[25] which followed his vocal performances on television show All Star Musicals in March 2021.[26]
From August to November 2021, Singh hosted the television series Extreme Food Phobics, in which applicants would come to cure their food phobias.
In December 2021, Singh appeared as a contestant on a Strictly Come Dancing Special that was also the first episode of the revival series of the BBC game show The Weakest Link, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan.
In December 2023, Singh opened up about his poor mental health whilst working for This Morning. He claimed the show's culture was to blame.[27]
From July 2024, Singh appeared as Lance in the UK tour of & Juliet.[28][29] In February 2025, Singh received an honorary PhD from Canterbury Christ Church University.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Singh married Sulvinder Samra, a pharmacist, at a traditional Sikh wedding ceremony in Nottingham in 2005.[30] He came out as gay to Samra in 2009, and the couple divorced in 2011.[30][31] He has been in a relationship with actor James Colebrook since 2024.[32][33]
He has discussed his sexuality in an interview for Attitude magazine in 2015 and in 2018 fronted the cover of Gay Times magazine as part of a special gaysian celebration of LGBTQ Asians.[34] Singh has been an advocate for LGBTQ rights, especially among minorities, and won the Attitude TV Award in 2019 where he spoke about how "People from ethnic minorities, people of colour, or LGBT people are still at a slight disadvantage" in the media.[35] He is an advocate for LGBTQ+-inclusive education.[36]
Work
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2015 | Get Well Soon | Himself | CBeebies | 13 Episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Get Well Soon Hospital | Dr Ranj | CBeebies | 15 Episodes |
| 2013 | This Week | Himself | BBC One | 1 Episode |
| 2015 | The Wright Stuff | Himself | Channel 5 | 1 Episode |
| 2016 | Inside Out | Himself | BBC One | BBC West Midlands, Brexit Special |
| 2016–2021 | This Morning | Himself | ITV | Resident Doctor (57 episodes) |
| 2017 | Celebrity Eggheads | Himself | BBC Two | 1 Episode |
| 2017–2018 | Loose Women | Himself | ITV | 6 Episodes |
| 2018 | Saturday Mash-Up! | Himself | BBC Two & CBBC | 1 Episode |
| 2018 | The One Show | Himself | BBC One | 1 Episode |
| 2018 | Strictly Come Dancing | Himself | BBC One | Contestant (Eliminated Week 7) |
| 2018–2021 | Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two | Himself | BBC Two | 12 Episodes |
| 2019 | Celebrity Antiques Road Trip | Himself | BBC One | 1 Episode |
| 2019–present | Lorraine | Himself | ITV | (2 episodes) |
| 2019 | The Ranganation | Himself | BBC Two | 1 Episode |
| 2019–2020 | Would I Lie to You? | Himself | BBC One | (3 episodes) |
| 2020 | Dr Ranj: On Call | Himself | ITV | (4 episodes) |
| 2020 | Sport Relief | Himself | BBC One | Special |
| 2020 | Celebrity Mastermind | Himself | BBC One | Episode 6 |
| 2020 | Celebrity Chase | Himself | ITV | Contestant (1 Episode) |
| 2020 | Celebrity Catchphrase | Himself | ITV | Christmas Special |
| 2020 | The Great British Sewing Bee | Himself | BBC One | Christmas Special |
| 2021 | Extreme Food Phobics | Himself | W Channel (10 episodes) | |
| 2021-2025 | The Weakest Link | Himself (Contestant) | BBC One (2 episodes) | Strictly Special, Doctors and Nurses Special |
| 2022 | Olivier Awards | Guest Presenter | ITV | Award show for West End and other London productions |
| 2022 | Richard Osman's House of Games | Himself | BBC Two | Series 4, week 5 |
| 2026 | The Dickie Show | Himself | BBC | Episode 3, spinoff of Smoggie Queens |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Production | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2025 | & Juliet | Lance | National tour |
Bibliography
[edit]Non-fiction
[edit]- Save Money Lose Weight. London: Transworld Publishers. 2019. ISBN 9781473570726.
Children's non-fiction
[edit]- Food Fuel, Level 9. Illustrated by David Semple. London: Oxford University Press. 2015. ISBN 9780198306429.
- Skelebones, Level 10. Illustrated by David Semple. London: Oxford University Press. 2015. ISBN 9780198306467.
- How To Grow Up Shah Rukh Khan: The No Worries Guide For BOYS. Illustrated by David O' Connell. London: Hachette Children's Group. 2021. ISBN 9781526362957.
Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | British Academy Children's Awards | Interactive: Adapted – Get Well Soon Hospital App | Won |
| 2018 | British Academy Children's Awards | Pre-School Live Action – Get Well Soon Hospital | Won |
| 2019 | Attitude Awards | Shah Rukh Khan | Won |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Panons, Jacob (7 February 2025). "TV presenter Dr Ranj receives honorary doctorate". BBC News. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Nisbet, Megan (29 July 2018). "Dr Ranj real life uncovered away from ITV's This Morning". OK! magazine.
- 1 2 3 Sharp, Jess (23 October 2018). "Dr Ranj Singh: Everything you need to know about Medway's TV doctor and Strictly Come Dancing star". Kent Online. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj's Top Ten Questions And Answers". mumazine.com. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ↑ @thismorning (26 June 2018). "After we caught you dressed like this in the studio, we're imagining you're going to have a good night!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ BBC. "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing - Dr Ranj Singh". BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ @DrRanj (2 February 2021). "I have a complex relationship with my Indian farming heritage ..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj Singh – Medicine man". Absolutely Education UK. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ "Ranjit Singh: A geek at heart". British Medical Journal. 357 (j2547). 31 May 2017. doi:10.1136/bmj.j2547. PMID 28566269. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ The Guardian (4 July 2018). "Confessions from A&E: Peppa Pig, the unsung hero of paediatric medicine - video". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ "Get Well Soon". CBeebies. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj Singh talks about his new CBeebies show, Get Well Soon". BBC Media Centre. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ↑ Hughes, Roxanne (20 July 2018). "Vanessa Feltz STUNNED at Dr Ranj outburst as she admits fears for show". Daily Express.
- ↑ IMDb. "Ranj Singh". IMDb. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj Singh is the seventh celebrity contestant confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing 2018". BBC Media Centre. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj Singh becomes the sixth celebrity to leave Strictly". BBC Blogs. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ↑ Molina-White, Lidia. "Dr Ranj: On Call – Everything you need to know". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ↑ Singh, Ranj; Semple, David (illustrator) (26 March 2015). Food Fuel. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198306429.
- ↑ Singh, Ranj; Semple, David (illustrator) (26 March 2015). Skelebones. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198306467.
- ↑ Penguin Books. "Save Money Lose Weight by Dr. Ranj Singh". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ↑ Singh, Ranj. "Dr Ranj Singh". NetDoctor. Hearst UK. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ Harvey-Jenner, Catriona. "Famous faces who have stepped up to work during the coronavirus crisis". nz.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ Singh, Dr Ranj. "Doctor's Note: Coronavirus myths and misconceptions". www.aljazeera.com.
- ↑ Hodge, Lisa (3 April 2020). "TV Doctor warns parents not to be 'duped' over virus child separation fears". dailyrecord. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ Tutton, Charlotte (15 April 2021). "This Morning's Dr Ranj Singh teams up with The Chase's Jenny Ryan for new show". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ↑ Tutton, Charlotte (21 March 2021). "All Star Musicals fans 'speechless' over Dr Ranj's 'unexpected' singing talent". mirror. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ↑ "Dr Ranj: This Morning was bad for mental health". BBC News. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ↑ "& Juliet announces complete casting for UK and Ireland tour, including Ranj Singh". WhatsOnStage. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ↑ "&Juliet". ATG. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- 1 2 Adejobi, Alicia (30 November 2018). "Dr Ranj responds to ex father-in law about him coming out as gay". Metro. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ↑ "Strictly's Dr. Ranj Singh: 'Coming out as gay to my wife was hard, but telling my family was another level'". Attitude.co.uk. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ↑ Henderson, Taylor (3 January 2025). "Dr. Ranj Singh goes IG official with new BF, actor James Colebrook". Out. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Robledo, Jordan (5 January 2025). ""Happy new year love": Dr Ranj Singh "hard launches" relationship with James Colebrook". Gay Times. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Connolly, William J (20 November 2018). "Dr Ranj Singh Gaysians cover interview: "As queer Asians, we have so much to offer ourselves and to the wider world"". Gay Times.
- ↑ Attitude (9 October 2019). "Attitude TV Award: Dr Ranj Singh". Attitude.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ↑ Wareham, Jamie. "Dr Ranj's Personal Reason For Supporting LGBT Inclusive Education". Forbes. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
External links
[edit]- Ranj Singh at IMDb