14 minute read
DR RANJ SINGH
M EDICINE MAN
Dr Ranj Singh has won over the nation on breakfast TV, Strictly and CBeebies, yet he still puts in the hours as an NHS paediatrician. Absolutely Sussex finds out more
By LIBBY NORMAN
DR RANJ SINGH STILL WORKS IN NHS PAEDIATRIC CARE – HIS BOOKS REACH OUT TO THE AUDIENCE HE KNOWS
PHOTO: DOMINIC TURNER
Dr Ranj Singh follows in a fine tradition of medics who also entertain the nation (Harry Hill, Graeme Garden, Jonathan Miller, to name just three). He can sing and dance really well, he acts and now he writes books. Yet he still finds time to be a doctor – these days part-time – working as an NHS clinician specialising in paediatric emergency medicine. It is, he says, a terrific ice breaker when worried families turn up at his
London hospital to find ‘that man o Strictly’. Dr Ranj doesn’t see media work and medicine as strange bedfellows. “A lot of medics – even though they are highly academic people in a very vocational job – are multifaceted. I went to university with people who had many di erent skills: writing, performing, music, dance, you name it. So, we are multifaceted, and that for me lends itself really well to paediatrics. You have to have that approach as you’re dealing with kids, families, communication and complex medicine.” His desire to be a doctor started really young. Indeed, he settled on medicine shortly after the typical childhood astronaut phase. “Ever since I was a few years old I just had a fascination with the way things work. I used to take all my toys apart, much to my parents’ frustration,” he says. “Also,
I always had this desire to help people – I wanted to make things better for people.” While Dr Ranj was always dedicated to getting good grades – he says you have to be on such an academic pathway – he also had performing in his bones. “Music was the very first thing I was told I was good at,” he says.
His singing got him picked for the school choir and he won second place at Kent Music
Festival. “That was the first ever certificate
I got, so music was always something that was special to me,” he says. “While I was a really creative kid, that was something I put to one side and had as a hobby.”
His path into medical school was easier than the transition to real-world medicine. “It was a complete culture shock. Studying medicine is very di erent to practising medicine and that first year was a baptism of fire,” he says. “I thought, ‘this is completely di erent to what I expected and I’m not sure this is the right thing for me. I’m not getting that sense of achievement and satisfaction that I thought I would’.”
Having decided on a six-month sabbatical, Dr Ranj was clearing his mind by redecorating his parents’ house when he was asked to interview for a paediatrician role. He got the job, which meant house decorating at
speed, but the payback came in the realisation he’d found his passion. “I suddenly got this sense of, ‘this is why I became a doctor’,” he says. “It was fascinating medicine – every day was interesting. I was working with amazing people – paediatric teams are just the best people – and all of a sudden, I felt reinspired. I was destined to be a paediatrician after that.”
Paediatrics was the perfect fit not least because there is a creative side when you are working with children. They may be frightened, and they often can’t tell you what’s wrong. For children lucky enough to encounter Dr Ranj at his London hospital, there’s a friendly and very empathetic manner. Little wonder then that his ability to engage with young people took him beyond hospital. CBeebies viewers learnt that doctors are there to help on Get Well Soon – a fun factual programme for very young children. He co-created this with Kindle Entertainment and it first aired in 2012, picking up a BAFTA in 2016.
Dr Ranj soon came to prominence for adult viewers too, as resident medic at ITV’s This Morning, and with a multitude of appearances over recent years on everything from Good Morning Britain and Inside Out to 5 News – even Cooking with the Stars, where he showed he’s no slouch in the kitchen. Other media work includes contributions and columns for NetDoctor, Al Jazeera and Attitude.
He has become, in short, one of those doctors trusted to dispense sound advice to the nation. But his performing ability has been the secret surprise. While he hoofed like a pro on Strictly, the voice he revealed in ITV’s All Star Musicals in March 2021 was a revelation and led to a one-o West End show in aid of Make a Di erence Trust Theatre Fund. He has loved these opportunities. “It’s given me a chance, I guess, to be the fuller me!”
Books for young people have been a natural progression. “Kids and young people are who I work with. They’re the ones I know how
ALL DR RANJ BOOKS HELP CHILDREN TO FOCUS ON THEIR INHERENT STRENGTHS
came picture books for young readers. A Superhero Like You was written as a thank you to front-line workers. “Also, a reminder to little ones about all the joy and positivity out there, even in a pandemic-stricken world. A Superpower Like Mine is a step on from that and is designed to inspire little ones to think about themselves and their own inherent superpowers and human skills that they can discover, build on and nurture.”
He’s been open in the past with his own journey as a gay man from a Sikh background. His advice to parents of children who may be struggling with identity or confused about growing up is straightforward: “Give them a space to explore who they are safely and be able to come to you when they are in trouble. Also, acknowledge the fact that children are very open minded and they get diversity – let them learn about it,” he says. “There are so many resources out there to help, and so many helplines for parents if they are panicking. But kids are pretty good at working out who they are and settling, eventually, on what they want to be. And we’ve just got to let them explore and discover for themselves.”
The doctor hasn’t hung up his stethoscope or his pen, nor indeed his mic and dancing shoes. With more books for children and young adults planned for next year, there’s also been a Celebrity Cruises gig this summer and he was in pantomime, “which I loved”. And he’s still pursuing his first-love career, putting in the hours in the emergency room of a London hospital and helping children. “I still get to exercise that part of my brain and do my bread and butter. It’s the thing that drives me, the bit that gives me a sense of purpose.”
to communicate with. I thought to myself: ‘I want to write books that they find helpful and useful, that they can turn to for information or reassurance’.” Dr Ranj chose a subject close to his heart with How to Grow Up and Feel Amazing: The No Worries Guide for Boys. “There was a need for a modern, up-to-date guide for boys and young men going through a very challenging time in this world.”
Brainpower followed this and was written to help counter some of the mental health and wellbeing impacts of the pandemic. Then
A Superpower Like Mine is published by Hachette Children’s (£6.99)
Smart MONEY
A new book for young people sets out to demystify money and help them unlock their entrepreneurial flair - and the timing is spot on
Talking to young people about money is tricky. Schools usually shoehorn personal finance within PHSE. For parents, it’s even harder – we want our children to understand its value, its pitfalls and the importance of securing their own future financial stability without alarming them.
Despite best intentions, often we approach the subject with our own baggage (guilt, cynicism and anxiety included). What makes it more complex today is that all bets are o on old certainties – safe career trajectory, job for life, cast-iron pension.
But money has leaped from business to front page news recently – so a good time for a financial heart to heart. A new book, Max Your Money, makes a great starting point for honest conversations. The book takes an international perspective and is aimed squarely at ‘tweenies’ and teens, pitching content at a level young people relate to. Its authors are old hands in the world of high finance. Larry (Laurence) Hayes runs an investment fund when he’s not writing books for children (including How to Survive Without Grown-Ups), while Rachel Provest is a family o ce and private equity director based in Singapore, and with a special interest and expertise within education.
As the book reveals, there’s some good news. During their research, the two discovered a rich vein of optimism and entrepreneurial flair bubbling up among the young. “Larry and I were just amazed by the number of case studies we came across of children in the target age group, from 11 upwards, who had started their own business and were running it brilliantly,” says Rachel. “Having really taken the time to do the groundwork on this area, we’re convinced – and quite blown away – by the power of children to build their own businesses without that adult cynicism.”
Rachel puts some of it down to the ease with which an internet connection enables young people to carry forward brilliant ideas, learning and researching as they go. “YouTube is the great educator these days,” she says. Rachel also believes young people see the business opportunities adults can’t spot. “Adults are almost in their shadow trying to keep up with the way they are thinking.” And thanks to crowdfunding and other new avenues of funding, the traditional barriers are down. “Historically, you had to have money behind you otherwise it was impossible to catch up – you never had that advantage – so very few children could get beyond that and be successful o their own back. Whereas now, there’s really nothing stopping children as long as they have a good idea. With that, it’s more important than ever to make sure that they do have this basic understanding – how do you understand a profit and loss account, what’s the bottom line, how do you budget?” says Rachel.
This is where the book does a brilliant job. Divided into Earn it, Grow it, Use it, it o ers the kind of useful information every young person needs. For instance, it has
a comparison of certain jobs and what they pay. Who knew a Lego Master Builder can make £19 an hour and an English League 2 footballer makes £25? Fascinating facts indeed, but the book goes deeper, including explanations about why some salaries are much higher than others, which jobs may disappear in the future and how to boost your earnings. There’s advice on how to work out what sort of job would suit you, and how to approach interviews. Also, how to negotiate a pay rise and know your own worth – a section many parents may also find useful. The book covers savings and investment, spending money wisely, e ective charitable giving and – in the most exciting part – testing your own brilliant entrepreneurial ideas like a business pro to see if they could be winners and learning about other successful young entrepreneurs.
The authors got their own children involved as critical readers to ensure the text was clear and engaging. “If they didn’t understand what we were talking about, we’d go back and try and clarify it a bit more. So that helped us ensure we had a form of bulletproof book that was definitely child friendly,” says Rachel. One thing that amazed them both during their research was young people’s openness to business ideas and their ‘can-do’ spirit of optimism. “It’s wonderful because with children there’s no cynicism there – no negativity. They naturally don’t think that way, they just go into things with best and honest intentions.”
Read the book’s case studies of young entrepreneurs and you will agree that there’s something wonderful going on. From the super earner Ryan (of YouTube channel Ryan’s World), who earned $29.5m in 2020 as an unboxer to the Argentinian ethical hacker Santiago Lopez who netted a more modest $1million plus, young entrepreneurs around the globe outline how they have spotted opportunities and gone for it. The Max Your Money authors have a companion book on its way for young would-be millionaires and Rachel is looking to use some of their research so far as the basis for a curriculum to help young people unlock their entrepreneurial talents.
One side benefit of Max Your Money is that Rachel’s own daughter – one of the book’s critical readers – has taken its ideas to heart. Aged just 12, she is now running a startup that utilises her digital skills and creative spark. “She makes TikTok videos for companies,” says Rachel. “It started with a friend who needed help. It has gone from one to seven people. She sets their videos up for them, which is fantastic. I’m looking forward to retiring quite soon!”
RACHEL PROVEST
Max Your Money by Laurence Hayes and Rachel Provest is published by Welbeck Children’s Books, price £14.99
CINDY FORDE
MESSAGE OF HOPE
An uplifting book turns familiar climate change narratives on their head, showing a potential future built on innovation
For young people, climate change is a tough subject. We adults present a set of challenges, not of their making, and focus on what seem like insurmountable problems. Too often this comes across as a vision of doom, of time running out. Little wonder then that some children become depressed, angry, even nihilistic when they think about their future and the world they will inherit.
Bright New World, a new book by Cindy
Forde aimed at the 8+ age group, turns this narrative firmly on its head. With a big format, bold colours and wonderful illustrations by Bethany Lord, it o ers a set of inspiring real stories and ideas for fixing problems and creating a better environment. Hope was what inspired Cindy to write the book because she believes a lot of environmental information o ers only downbeat messages and design. "Children subliminally get the message that this is a di cult subject, a sad subject – even a dreary subject," she says.
"The world is bright and beautiful," adds Cindy. "We really wanted to have that in the book, so that instead of environment being associated with everything that's gone wrong and these very depressing images, the images inspire you both with the beauty of nature and with the fabulous creativity of humanity."
She is critical of the trend to talk about a future full of hair-shirt denial – believing the story should be one of evolution. "Earth is capable of sustaining large populations of humans and other creatures, it's just that we need to shift our distribution, if you like, and design things in the same way that natural systems are designed. The whole feeling now is that there's this opportunity to transform – crisis brings danger and opportunity."
Bright New World is big format in size and scope, and also rich in detail. It covers a lot of ground on environmental issues – from food choice challenges and circular economy principles, to the future of travel and rainforest and ocean regeneration. This is not pie-in-the-sky idealism, but supported by facts, figures and information, all underpinned by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). There are plenty of environmental heroes here. "We need to give young people the sense that there are relatively simple things that they can do. I don't want to put the onus on the individual because to really change this trajectory we need systemic change, but systems are guided by the individuals who live within them," says Cindy.
Bright New world is by Cindy Forde (Welbeck Publishing, £18.99). To find out more about Planetari, visit planetari.world
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