Latest news with #Oxted
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Top comedian leaves customers stunned as he is spotted working at a local Surrey bakery... but would YOU have recognised him?
A famous comedian left his fans stunned when he was spotted working behind the counter at a local bakery. The funnyman was spotted posing for photographs with delighted customers, who were left stunned to enter the bakery and see him working hard behind the till. He drew in the crowds to Coughlans Bakery in Oxted, Surrey, as fans lined up to catch sight of the famous TV presenter and purchase some baked goods. He is well-known for his stand-up comedy career, while he also presents his own TV shows and has a hugely successful BBC Radio 2 programme. The stand-up comic has virtually been on every TV channel, also appearing on popular panel shows including A League Of Their Own and Taskmaster. But do you know who it is? That's right, it's Romesh Ranganathan! Alongside his hugely successful comedy career, many fans do not realise that he has also been a co-owner of Coughlans Bakery since 2024. He delighted fans with his hands-on approach to running the business as he served customers coffees and pastries from behind the counter on Wednesday. The down-to-earth star didn't shy away from pausing his duties to pose for selfies and chat to fans, as well as record video messages for those who missed out. He was fully kitted out in the bakery's branded cap and hoodie, with videos and photographs from his shift showing him collecting orders and processing payments. His fans were quick to take to social media to heap praise on the comedian for taking the time to speak to all his fans during his surprise shift behind the counter. Comments included: 'Haul 10/10 as usual, not sure about the new intern though'; 'Legend, making time for everyone'; 'Romesh drawing in the crowds, couldn't stay to chat thanks to a 2pm meeting but nabbed a delish sausage roll and doughnut.' He delighted fans with his hands-on approach to running the business as he served customers coffees and pastries from behind the counter on Wednesday It is not the first time he has done a stint working in the bakery chain, as he has also thrilled fans with shifts in its branches in Dorking and his hometown Crawley. In February, he told the BBC of his visits: 'It was nice to meet people. I just wanted to get involved. The crowds are better than my tour show.' Romesh, who is a vegan, had initially partnered with the bakery to create a vegan treat, called the Ranga Yum Yum, before going on to become a co-owner. The delicious snack was made a permanent fixture on the menu and Romesh was partly responsible for owner Sean Coughlan setting up a branch in his hometown. Sean previously said of Romesh's involvement: 'Romesh is working behind the counter because he wants to know more about the business. He loves it.' 'He is so down to earth, humble and genuinely one of the nicest guys I ever met,' he added.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Tea with a side of flattery': what US papers say about Starmer's meeting with Trump
A quick scan of the UK newspaper front pages and you would be forgiven for thinking it was the diplomatic moment of the century, but a glance at the media on the other side of the Atlantic suggests Keir Starmer and Donald Trump's get-together barely made a splash. Instead, much of the scant coverage portrayed the prime minister as a messenger, bringing an invite for something much more glamorous than a former lawyer from Oxted: the royal red carpet. Here we take a quick look at how US media covered the meeting between the US president and UK prime minister. The encounter did not make the print front page and by Friday morning GMT it had vanished from the front of the website. A search for the newspaper's coverage uncovered a brief article focused on Trump's comments on Vladimir Putin and Ukraine. Trump's news channel of choice indirectly features the meeting on its online front page under the headline: 'Trump draws laughs with answer to question about calling Zelenskyy a dictator'. The article focused on a comment the US president made in the Oval Office when asked about the controversial slur, replying: 'I can't believe I said that.' The meeting between the two leaders did not make the front page of the print edition, although Trump and his tariff moves did. Online, the newspaper covered the gathering on its front under the headline: 'Tea with a side of flattery: UK prime minister Keir Starmer visits Trump'. 'UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer arrived at the White House on Thursday bearing a special envelope for President Donald Trump − a letter from the British King Charles III inviting him to a second state visit,' the newspaper reported. The summit of the two leaders did appear on the front page of the Washington Post's print edition – as a picture-caption story under the headline: 'Delicate diplomatic outreach on Ukraine'. 'In Washington, Starmer deployed a mixture of flattery, deference and even a royal invitation for a state visit,' it read. While online, the coverage had dropped down the site to the 'War in Ukraine' section under the headline 'British prime minister uses flattery, royal invitation to push Trump on Ukraine'. In the print edition, the WSJ covered the meeting albeit indirectly under the headline 'Trump softens his tone on Kyiv but won't give security pledge', with the story focusing on Trump's position on Ukraine expressed during Starmer's visit. The event had dropped down the website under a headline again focusing on Ukraine, rather than the perceived history-making nature of the congregation. 'Trump sounds warmer tone on Ukraine but stops short of security guarantees', it stated. Starmer does not feature on the CNN online front but the meeting does appear in a couple of articles, one focusing on Trump's response to questions about his branding of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a dictator, while the other on the royal invitation received by Trump to visit the UK for a second state visit.
