Richard Osman said he has filmed 800 episodes of House of Games (Picture: BBC/Remarkable TV/Endemol Shine UK Ltd)
Richard Osman has announced he will be exiting his hosting duties on House of Games after helming the BBC quiz show for nine years.
The 55-year-old shared the news on his podcast with Marina Hyde, having teased a career announcement at the start of Tuesday’s show.
The TV presenter-turned-bestselling author said that, much like his exit from Pointless, he has decided to step back in order to focus on his hugely popular Thursday Murder Club series of novels.
He said: ‘I am leaving House of Games. It will no longer be Richard Osman’s House of Games.
‘It will be somebody else’s House of Games. I gladly hand over the keys.’
Speaking on The Rest is Entertainment, he continued: ‘I just wanted to go on record saying how much I love it and loved it,’ noting he has completed 800 episodes on the programme.
‘I gladly hand over the keys’ (Picture: BBC/Remarkable TV/Matt Frost)
Osman said he will be stepping back to focus on his writing career (Picture: BBC/Remarkable Television/Graeme Hunter)
The series, which is produced by Remarkable Entertainment (part of Banijay UK), has been part of the BBC Two schedule since 2017, with the ninth series currently on air.
‘I’ve loved it. Of course, I met my wife through it as well. Just with the writing, there comes a point where you have to hand it over.’
He noted that the BBC have said the show will go on, promising ‘that incredible team are still going to be making it with a different host’.
Osman then said he will complete a final week of filming, in which he will hand over the big red armchair to the new host.
‘I’ve loved doing it so much and I’ll be gutted when I don’t do it anymore, but I had to, in the same way with Pointless,’ he said.
He will host a final batch of episodes, in which he hands over to the new host (Picture: BBC/Remarkable TV/Endemol Shine UK Ltd)
His podcast co-host Hyde then thanked Osman for his work on the show and bringing ‘joy’ to her household.
‘Looking forward to Su Pollard’s House of Games,’ he joked.
Banijay subsequently confirmed the news in an official statement, in which joint managing director Tamara Gilder promised ‘exciting plans’ for the show, which will be ‘revealed soon’.
Rob Unsworth, head of daytime and early peak commissioning, also said in the announcement: ‘Richard Osman has established House of Games as one of our best-loved shows.
‘His contribution to its success is impossible to overstate, and we couldn’t be more grateful for his work over the last nine years.
‘But as we wish him even more success in the future, we also look forward to sharing with viewers who the House of Games’s next resident will be – and will have more on that soon.’
Richard Osman’s House of Games is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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