Richard Osman

Returning with his fifth Thursday Murder Club novel, the TV presenter talks Helen Mirren and the perks of ageing

- 

Doing nothing is, “quite absolutely, my state of grace,’ says Richard Osman. “I love, love, love doing nothing” Yet the 54-year-old can't be accused of doing that very often.

When we speak, he’s just wrapped on 110 episodes of his quiz show Richard Osman's House Of Games, is hosting The Rest Is Entertainment podcast with Marina Hyde each week and, during our conversation, is signing 5,000 copies of his new book, The Impossible Fortune.

And he’ not a great multitasker.

“I’m good at monotasking. I'm good at focusing on one thing at a time, in extreme depth’ he says.

Born in Billericay and growing up in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, he used to be best known as Alexander Armstrong's foil on BBC One’ Pointless, or for giving us 8 Out Of 10 Cats on Channel 4. Since 2020, though, he’s the man who brought Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim into our lives.

‘And now the Thursday Murder Club crew are back for a fifth stint.

“I've given them a year offto rest and recuperate. I put them through quite a lot” notes Osman fondly, calling his characters “four of his best friends”. “Things have changed alittle bit for all of them”

The book starts with a wedding, where someone comes up to enigmatic sleuth Elizabeth - who is grieving - and says, “Someone is trying to kill me. Can you help?”