Richard Osman is stepping back from Pointless after nearly 13 years on the show, the BBC has announced. The presenter and novelist has co-hosted the BBC One gameshow alongside Alexander Armstrong since it debuted in 2009.
He will continue to host Pointless Celebrities as well as his BBC Two show, 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. His debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, was published in September 2020 and became a bestseller.
Its global film rights were later bought by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment. A sequel, The Man Who Died Twice, arrived in September.
Pointless sees members of the public competing for a cash prize by finding correct but obscure answers to four rounds of general knowledge questions. Osman was not originally intended to be Armstrong’s co-presenter but after filling the role as part of a demonstration laid on for the BBC, executives asked him to continue for the first series.
The programme moved from BBC Two to BBC One after a successful two years.
