ROMESH TURNS SUPER SLEUTH

COMEDIAN Romesh Ranganathan will tum super sleuth in a documentary series which explores the remarkable lives and mysterious deaths of Tupac Shakur, Nancy Spungen and Jimi Hendrix.

- HEATHER GREENAWAY

The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan will see the presenter delve into the stories of these iconic entertainment figures who've always been a source of fascination for him.

Rapper Tupac, Sid Vicious's girlfriend Spungen and guitarist Hendrix all had a lasting impact on popular culture during their lifetimes, and experienced untimely deaths in their twenties that have long been a topic of suspicion and debate.

In the BBC2 series, Romesh, 46, who has no experience of criminal investigations, attempts to crack each case assisted by criminal psychologist, writer and podcaster Dr Julia Shaw.

The comic talks to experts, eyewitnesses, friends and journalists to learn more about the remarkable lives of each star while trying to unravel the enduring mystery behind their tragic deaths.

The Sri-Lankan dad of three, who is married to drama teacher Leesa, said: "We wanted to find a fun way of doing a celeb biopic while also doing a true crime style show. This ticked both of the boxes. I'm a huge fan of true crime documentaries but we wanted to do a sort of take-off of the tropes of those types of shows. It's a homage.

"I would love to say I was inspired by Luther but I think comparing myself to Idris Elba would lead to a backlash that my wife would spearhead.

"I think it's unlikely this is the start of a new career for me. People already say I do too much. Detective Ranganathan might be taking the p**s."

Tupac was a trailblazing rapper who delivered a unique mix of gangster rap, poetry and social commentary.

In a short but blistering career, he angered politicians and dominated the charts - even dating the Queen of Pop, Madonna as he catapulted himself from the streets of South Central LA to global fame.

Tupac's shooting, after a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas in September 1996, shocked the world.