Richard Osman was born on 28 November 1970, to Brenda Wright and David Osman in Billericay, Essex. His father walked out on the family while Richard was nine and his mother singlehandedly raised the young family. Richard lived in Haywards Heath, West Essex for the rest of his childhood.

Osman rose to fame through British quiz and panel shows. He created and co-presented the BBC One quiz programme Pointless alongside Alexander Armstrong from 2009 to 2022, helping it become one of the UK’s most popular daytime game shows.

Osman also hosts the BBC Two quiz series Richard Osman’s House of Games, where celebrity contestants compete in trivia-based challenges each week. In addition, he previously presented the BBC Two quiz show Two Tribes and appeared as a team captain on comedy panel programmes such as Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show.

Outside television, Osman became a bestselling author with the mystery novel The Thursday Murder Club, which launched a highly successful book series. His success as a writer has allowed him to focus more on publishing and creative projects in recent years.

Osman lives in West London with his wife, actress Ingrid Oliver, and maintains an active career in broadcasting, podcasting, and writing.