Richard Osman is to step down as a presenter on the daytime quizshow Pointless, the BBC has said.
Although Osman, 51, who has presented the show alongside Alexander Armstrong since 2009, is stepping back from the main show, he will continue to host future series of Pointless Celebrities and his BBC Two show Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Armstrong will continue to host the quiz, with a roster of guest presenters lined up to replace Osman.
Commenting on his departure, 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 12 amazing years.”
SOME NEWS!
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) April 8, 2022
After 13 wonderful years I'm leaving daytime Pointless, to concentrate on writing. Will still be doing the celebrity shows and 'HouseOfGames'. It has been the GREATEST pleasure and I can't wait to start watching as a viewer. Thank you to everyone! ❤️
Will miss the whole team, especially the incomparable @XanderArmstrong. Thank you to everyone who watches, it really has been a dream, and I know the show will continue to go from strength to strength.
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) April 8, 2022
In a tweet, Osman indicated that his departure was partly due to the success of his bestselling crime novels, The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice. The film rights of the former have been bought by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment.
Tamara Gilder, the creative director of Remarkable Entertainment, the production company that produces Pointless, said Osman had been a large part of Pointless and the success of the show. “We’ll be sad to not have him as part of the daytime series, but we are very glad that he’ll still be part of the Pointless family, presenting our celebrity specials, as well as continuing to host House of Games.”
Series 26 of Pointless, which broadcast in January, had a peak audience of 2.8 million viewers and has been BBC One’s No 1 daytime quiz and gameshow in 2021 and 2022.
In Pointless, members of the public compete 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 after seeing the chemistry between the pair. The programme moved from BBC Two to BBC One after a successful two years.