Stephen Merchant: Being The Awkward Guy & Letting Go Of THE OFFICE

Multi award–winning writer, actor and director, Stephen Merchant joins Romesh for a hilarious conversation about his career. They discuss how The Office reshaped comedy, why Tim and Dawn still land, Stephen’s shift into drama, his quest for “flow state," and why he regrets always playing the awkward guy.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Listen.

00:00 Intro
02:10 Chat GPT vs Stephen's BAFTAS
04:20 Do Awards Mean Anything?
07:45 Mark Hamill’s Trousers
09:25 Teacher Trauma
16:20 Tiny Grand Piano & Music Regrets
18:30 The Flow State
24:50 How The Office Changed Comedy
28:33 Tim & Dawn
31:34 Letting The Office Evolve
34:49 Goodbye June With Kate Winslet
38:06 Shanthi’s Question & Being The Awkward Guy
42:00 Stallone, Woody Allen & The Danger of Being Typecast
44:00 The Walking Dead
46:20 Logan With Richard E. Grant
50:00 Ambitions & American Success
58:00 Misquoted
01:04:30 Being 6’7 Tall
01:07:20 Stephen’s Adult EXCLUSIVE
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The world’s biggest stars join Romesh for candid conversations and loads of laughs.

Every Monday, Romesh Ranganathan meets actors, musicians, comedians and icons who share stories you won’t hear anywhere else, combining humour, heart and genuine insight. Expect backstage anecdotes, untold tales from the spotlight, and extraordinary insight into what makes them tick.

On Thursdays, Rom’s mum Shanthi joins the show to share family stories, answer audience questions, and offer her no-nonsense take on life, proving that the funniest and most relatable conversations often happen around the kitchen table.

Leave a voice note for Romesh and Shanthi by messaging +447731623355, @theromeshshow on Instagram, or emailing podcast@rangabee.com.

A Ranga Bee Production in Partnership with Listen.

• No. of episodes: 65
• Latest episode: 2026-05-06
• Comedy Society & Culture

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