Richard Osman quits quiz show House of Games after 'amazing nine years'

Richard Osman's House of Games will be getting a new name after its current host announced he is leaving the BBC quiz show.

"It will no longer be Richard Osman's House of Games. It will be somebody else's House of Games," the presenter revealed on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment.

"And I gladly hand over the keys," he added, pointing out that he had done more 800 episodes since the show began in 2017, and confirming that the BBC had agreed to continue the programme following his departure.

Osman, who met his wife Ingrid Oliver on the show when she appeared as a contestant in 2022, said he would do "one final week where I will hand over to the new host", but didn't say who his replacement would be.

The general knowledge quiz airs on BBC Two on weekdays.

Osman told his listeners: "I've loved it. And of course I met my wife through it as well."

He is otherwise best known for his best-selling books including the Thursday Murder Club, which was made into a Netflix series starring Dame Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.

The presenter and novelist explained: "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 any more."

In a statement, Rob Unsworth, the BBC's head of daytime and early peak commissioning, said: "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."

The BBC said the current ninth series was attracting about 1.6 million viewers including catch-up and on-demand viewing over a seven-day period.

Osman was previously co-host of another popular BBC quiz show, Pointless, alongside Alexander Armstrong, who is still at the the helm.

As well as his career as a writer, Osman has been hosting his podcast alongside journalist Marina Hyde since 2023.