Richard Osman

Richard Osman

Author: BBC Radio 4 September 12, 2026 Duration: 14:41

The writer, presenter and podcaster Richard Osman has released his latest novel – We Chase Shadows, the second book in his We Solve Murders series. The release follows the success of his Thursday Murder Club novels which have sold millions of copies since the first book was published in 2020. It has since been made into a film produced by Steven Spielberg. Known for his TV presenter role on the hit game shows Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games, Osman started his career in showbusiness as a producer, devising formats for TV game shows which he pitched to broadcasters. He became the creative director of the television company Endemol and landed his first on screen gig on Pointless after standing in as co-presenter during run-throughs for the BBC. With Alexander Armstrong he went on to present over a thousand episodes before stepping down in 2022 to concentrate on his writing. Growing up in Hayworth’s Heath, Sussex, he showed an early interest in games and quizzes as well as TV and radio programmes. When he was 15 year old, he wrote to BBC Radio Sussex’s Turn It Up youth music programme, securing a role behind the microphone. He went on to study politics and sociology at Cambridge University where he first met his presenting partner Alexander Armstrong. Today, Osman presents the Rest is Entertainment podcast with Guardian columnist Marina Hyde.

PRODUCTION: Presenter: Mark Coles Producer: Tom Gillett Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine Lang

ARCHIVE: Pointless and Richard Osman's House of Games - Remarkable Entertainment Family Fortunes - ATV


Each week, Profile from BBC Radio 4 takes a single name from the global conversation and builds a detailed portrait, moving far beyond the headlines. This isn't a simple biography or a news recap. Instead, through careful documentary storytelling and personal journal excerpts where available, the podcast constructs a nuanced examination of character and motive. You’ll hear from colleagues, critics, and sometimes the subjects themselves, piecing together what drives and defines the people shaping our world. The focus rests firmly on influence, whether in politics, the arts, science, or social movements, exploring how an individual's background and choices ripple through society and culture. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining a deeper, more textured understanding of the figures you think you know, revealing the contradictions and convictions behind the public image. It’s a thoughtful half-hour that challenges first impressions, asking what truly lies behind a name in the news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Profile
Podcast Episodes
Amy Hunt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:04
Amy Hunt, 24, was born and grew up in Newark, Nottinghamshire. In the classroom, on the sports field, playing cello or tap dancing, she excelled at whatever she did.She wasn't always a quick runner though. Her teacher, P…
Jon Ossoff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:42
The Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff is suddenly the name on everyone's lips. With his careful oratory and intangible 'it factor' comparisons have been made with a young Barack Obama. But who is the 39-year-old from Atlanta?…
Anneliese Midgley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:39
Labour's new chief whip is a Liverpudlian with a broad cultural hinterland. Anneliese Midgley grew up in Knowsley on a housing estate. Her family struggled financially when she was growing up but their fortunes changed w…
James Purnell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:48
The New Labour old boy was at one time a front runner to lead his Party. But after a scandalous resignation from Gordon Brown’s Cabinet, it seemed his political career was over…until now. James Purnell grew up between Fr…
Gianni Infantino [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:06
The FIFA president grew up in Switzerland as part of an Italian migrant family, and fell in love with football and its administration when he was just a teenager. Having qualified as a football lawyer and making a name f…
Donna Ockenden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:40
Donna Ockenden is a senior midwife and healthcare leader who has spent more than 35 years reforming patient safety in UK maternity services. Born in South Wales, she overcame a difficult childhood marked by poverty, fami…
Harry Styles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:52
The former boyband member and teen heartthrob, Harry Styles, is going into the final week of his sold-out residency at Wembley before continuing his world tour. After winning music competitions while at school in Cheshir…
Rupert Lowe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:27
Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe is the newest disruptor in right-wing politics but the path he has taken to get there is a familiar one. Born in Oxford in 1957 Lowe attended an elite all boys boarding school before studyin…
Harry Kane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:26
Next week, Harry Kane will lead the England men’s squad into their first game of the 2026 World Cup.Kane has a wealth of experience behind him - he is England’s all-time record goalscorer and has also racked up an extrao…
Maggie O'Farrell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:37
Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland in 1972. Keen to move away from The Troubles, her father took a job at the University of Wales and the family moved to Bridgend when Maggie was a child. At the age of eight s…