Richard Osman has revealed that he sought professional help for a food addiction that made him “feel like a freak”. The 55-year-old former Pointless presenter said his struggles began when he was nine years old, after his father David left home.
Speaking on the How Do You Cope? podcast with John Robins, Osman described the addiction as “secret” and “very, very shameful”. He explained that he turned to overeating as a way to “control my life”, but found it a “huge problem” that he could not resolve on his own.
Osman noted that he is “of a generation and background” where he would not have sought therapy unless there was a specific issue. He said: “I think if I just felt discontented with the world I wouldn’t have gone to therapy, I’d have told myself to buck up.” However, his “very bizarre relationship with food” compelled him to see a therapist.
The author and TV presenter said his therapist focused not on the addiction itself but on why it became his “coping mechanism”. Osman admitted he feared people would think he was “ridiculous” for his struggles. He added: “The addiction itself becomes the shame... you feel like a freak. And that's the bit you have to deal with because you're not a freak.”
Osman concluded that his addiction was a “pretty rational response” to his childhood. He is now a best-selling author of The Thursday Murder Club series, the first of which was adapted into a Netflix film last year.
