Richard Osman

Richard Osman
Born Richard Thomas Osman
28 November 1970
Billericay, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Nationality British
Alma mater Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation Creative Director, Television presenter, producer, Director
Years active early 1990s-present
Employer Endemol UK
Height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)[1]
Television Pointless
Two Tribes
Children 2
Relatives Mat Osman (brother)

Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer and director. He is the co-presenter and creator of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless.[2]

Osman worked at Hat Trick Productions before becoming creative director of the television production company Endemol UK, executive producing shows such as Prize Island for ITV.

Early life

Osman was born in Billericay, Essex, and grew up in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. His mother is a teacher. Osman attended Warden Park School in Cuckfield and read Politics and Sociology at Trinity College, Cambridge (1989-1992), where he was a contemporary of Pointless co-presenter Alexander Armstrong, who read English Literature.[3][4]

Career

Television

Since 2009, Osman has co-presented the BBC One teatime quiz show Pointless with host Alexander Armstrong, where he is jokingly known as Armstrong's "pointless friend". Having previously worked exclusively in behind-the-camera roles, Osman got the job as co-presenter/assistant when he pitched the idea for the show to a panel of BBC daytime heads, taking the role of the assistant in the demonstration.[5] Bosses were impressed and decided to offer Osman the job.[6]

Osman has also worked as executive producer on numerous other shows, including Deal or No Deal, Channel 4 comedy panel game 8 out of 10 Cats and satirical comedy 10 O'Clock Live. He created the short-lived 2013 ITV gameshow Prize Island.[7] Osman's other credits include Whose Line is it Anyway?, Total Wipeout and the game show 24 Hour Quiz. He has appeared three times on Have I Got News for You as a guest in December 2012, April 2013 and April 2014 and also as host in October 2013.[8][9][10]

Osman has also appeared multiple times on Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You and Let's Play Darts for Comic Relief.

In 2014, Osman began presenting a new BBC Two quiz show called Two Tribes. A second series was commissioned and began airing in February 2015.[11]

In October 2014 and April 2015, Osman guest presented The One Show with Alex Jones.

Writing

Osman acts as script editor for BBC One's Total Wipeout and in 1999, created and wrote the Channel 4 sitcom Boyz Unlimited with David Walliams and Matt Lucas. In 2005, Osman co-created and co-wrote the animated Channel 4 sitcom Bromwell High.[12][13][14]

The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World was published in the UK by Coronet, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton, in October 2012.

Personal life

Osman is a season ticket holder at Fulham F.C., and has two children.[15] His older brother Mat is a founding member and bassist in the band Suede and produced music for 8 Out of 10 Cats and You Have Been Watching! On 6 December 2011, Osman became an "unlikely heartthrob" after winning Heat‍ '​s Weirdest Crush Award.[16] Osman has impaired vision caused by nystagmus, a condition which causes uncontrolled movement of the eyes.[17]

References

External links