Taking The Biscuit

As inquisitive, left field and quirky thinking goes, few can rival that of TV frontman Richard Osman’s take on the world. But can trendy Billericay really take all the credit? Danny Bowman puts the question to the Pointless star

- Danny Bowman

IT’S ALL very well being labelled a ‘giant of light entertainment’, but if your stature is more that of a racing jockey you’re going to struggle to pull it off visually once you return to the stables. Luckily for Richard Osman, he is a giant… I struggle to suffix that with the word ‘literally’, but at 6ft 7 it’s close enough. He also doesn’t like horses.

‘I think “giant” is a bit strong!’ chimes Richard, as the notion is floated. ‘In the modern era of television there are a lot of faces who are very “present”, if you understand what I mean by that. I think it’s more the case now than ever before, but we are so exposed by who we see, because it’s not just on the telly as it was when I was a kid growing up in Billericay, it’s on social media, on the covers of magazines… the lot.’

Not that Richard necessarily regards celebrity exposure as a bad thing. Why would he? A fair veteran now of more than 1,000 Pointless quiz shows – you know, the one where contestants strive to seek out the least popular correct answer – the 47-year-old has extended his considerable reach to take in several other mainstream projects, from Have I Got News for You and QI to Dragons’ Den and Child Genius.

‘I think for me it comes down to feeling thrilled and excited by something,’ he offers. ‘If there’s a book or a show or a presenting job that strikes a chord with me, I’ll usually need a pretty good reason not to get involved.