Pointless star Richard Osman, who created the BBC One series in 2009, has explained why he and other television presenters can come across as looking “very ill” on camera. Richard, who co-presented the show with host Alexander Armstrong until his departure in 2022, is also known for hosting Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Richard, 53, gave a rare behind-the-scenes insight into the world of presenting whilst chatting to co-host Marina Hyde, 49, on their new podcast The Rest is Entertainment. In a questions and answers session with their audience last month, Richard spoke about his own health.
The star, who had recently returned from a long flight, told Marina: “I am over my jetlag now.” She replied: “I’m very pleased you are over your jetlag. I think we should get straight into this.”
However, Richard then cut in to elaborate on his health fears, and how any issues could impact his role as a presenter. “Can I just say one thing?” he asked.
“When I had that jetlag I was thinking, ‘Oh actually, I might have a bit of a cold’. And it made me think…
“If you’re a quiz show presenter – no one has asked this question but I’m going to answer it anyway,” he hastened to add.
“When you’ve got a cold people think you’re very, very ill,” Richard explained.
“Because if you’ve had a cold for three days then, actually, on a TV show that means 15 episodes.
“So they think ‘Oh my god, he’s had a cold for a really, really long time!’”
Richard went on to confirm that, while no one had asked ‘What happens when a TV presenter gets a cold’, he had been keen to share the fun fact with their listeners.
“It’s a chronic illness!” Marina quipped in response, before the pair launched into the episode.
Richard left Pointless two years ago, later admitting on X that his successful career as a novelist was to blame.
The Thursday Murder Club writer confessed he was forced to quit his beloved BBC quiz show because the books had “become such a juggernaut around the world I simply couldn’t keep up with my schedule”.
Listen to The Rest is Entertainment podcast on streaming platforms now.
