Richard Osman quits House of Games after 9 years
The Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman has quit House of Games after nine years, but he will be "gutted" when he no longer makes the quiz show.
Richard Osman has quit House of Games after nine years.
The Thursday Murder Club author has fronted more than 800 episodes of the BBC quiz show since it began in 2017, but it will soon have a new name.
Speaking on his podcast The Rest is Entertainment, he said: "It will no longer be Richard Osmond's House of Games. It will be somebody else's House of Games.
"And I gladly hand over the keys."
As well as his successful Thursday Murder Club novel series - which was adapted into a movie with Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Pierce Brosnan - Richard has another cosy crime book series, We Solve Murders.
The star admitted he is quitting House of Games to make way for more writing, but said he will be "gutted" when he no longer makes the quiz show.
He said: "It's just with the writing, there comes a point, you know, where you have to hand it over.
"I've loved doing it so much and I'll be gutted when I don't do it anymore."
Former Pointless co-host Richard is set to front "one final week where I will hand over to the new host", but he didn't reveal who that will be.
The show will always hold a special place in Richard's heart after he met his wife, actress Ingrid Oliver - who also starred in The Thursday Murder Club film - on the programme when she was a contestant in 2022.
He said: "I've loved it. And of course I met my wife through it as well."
Rob Unsworth, the BBC's head of daytime and early peak commissioning, said in a statement: "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."
