Devoted fans of the popular quiz show Richard Osman's House of Games were left furious after a sudden BBC schedule change pushed back their favourite programme on Friday evening.
What Caused the Scheduling Shake-Up?
The show, which normally airs on BBC Two at 6pm from Monday to Friday, was unexpectedly shifted to a 7:30pm slot on December 5th. The disruption was caused by the broadcaster's live coverage of the World Cup Draw, which took precedence in the early evening schedule.
News of the delay did not go down well with the show's dedicated audience. One disgruntled viewer took to social media to vent, writing: "Can't believe I'm having to go without House of Games for this s***." Another demanded: "Never mind the football, where's House of Games?"
The frustration was palpable, with a third fan commenting: "I turned over to BBC2 at 6 to watch House of Games. Very disappointed to see this rubbish on." Someone else simply grumbled about the wait, stating they were "Pee'd off that House of Games will be an hour late."
How Does House of Games Work?
The Richard Osman-fronted programme follows a weekly format where four celebrities compete across five consecutive episodes to win daily prizes. The structure of the show is as follows:
- Each episode concludes with a rapid-fire round to determine the day's winner.
- Scores accumulate throughout the week, with an overall champion crowned on Friday.
- Points are awarded based on each celebrity's daily finishing position.
- Friday's totals are awarded double points, making the final day crucial.
The celebrity line-up for the affected week included author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher, athlete Montell Douglas, Paralympian Will Bayley, and comedian Josh Pugh.
Richard Osman: From Quiz Family to TV Host
Host Richard Osman, who celebrated his 55th birthday on November 28th, has often credited his background for his success in the quiz show arena. Speaking previously to the Guardian, he explained his competitive philosophy.
"I'm a fairly decent quizzer, but I come from a family of fairly decent quizzers, so that doesn't really help," Osman said. He elaborated on the perfect opponent: "My thing always with a quiz is you want to play against somebody who is almost as clever as you. Someone who you win against about 52% of the time, so it's always going to be a good game, but if you play your best, you should win."
In other news related to the presenter, it was revealed last week that Osman had been approached to appear on Celebrity Traitors. He told The Chipping Forecast podcast he would only agree to participate under one strict condition.
"I said to them, they did ask, I said I could only do it as a traitor," Osman stated. He justified his stance by explaining his fear of unjust accusation, saying he would "lose my mind" if he was a faithful player wrongly accused of being a traitor. "I just couldn't, just the injustice of the thing it would drive me insane," he added, noting that producers could not guarantee him the traitor role.
