Richard Osman has broken his silence after announcing his departure from the daytime version of Pointless, the BBC One quiz show he has co-hosted for nearly 13 years. The presenter and novelist said he is stepping back to focus on his writing career, but will continue to host Pointless Celebrities and Richard Osman’s House of Games.
In a statement released by the BBC, Osman said: “Pointless has been a joy from start to finish, working alongside my friend Alexander Armstrong, backed by the most wonderful team, and for the best viewers in the world. I will miss everyone so much, but I’m thrilled that I’ll still be presenting the celebrity shows. I can’t thank everyone enough for twelve amazing years.”
Osman has filmed more than 1,300 episodes and nearly 30 series of the programme, which sees members of the public competing for a cash prize by finding correct but obscure answers to general knowledge questions. He was not originally intended to be Armstrong’s co-presenter, but after filling the role in a demonstration for the BBC, executives asked him to continue.
The 50-year-old’s debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, was published in September 2020 and became a bestseller, with film rights bought by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. A sequel, The Man Who Died Twice, followed in September 2021. On Twitter, Osman wrote: “After 13 wonderful years I’m leaving daytime Pointless, to concentrate on writing. It has been the GREATEST pleasure and I can’t wait to start watching as a viewer.”
