Richard Osman has paid tribute to his Pointless co-host Alexander Armstrong as the pair filmed one of their last shows together.
Only the two hosts knew that Richard would be stepping down from the popular quiz show when they filmed the episode, which aired on 20 July.
Richard announced he would be leaving the BBC show after 13 years in April, after filming more than 1,300 episodes and nearly 30 series.
Sharing a clip after he filmed his final ever episode on Twitter, Richard wrote: “I will still be on screen for a while in repeats, but yesterday was my final ever episode of daytime #Pointless after 12 years.
“Only Xander and I knew that at time of recording, so I wanted to give him a heartfelt message. New episodes with new hosts will be with in September!”
In the clip, Richard says he is often asked about Pointless and working with Alexander in interviews, but has come to realise he rarely shares his feelings with his co-host directly.
“I just want to say how lucky I am to work with you,” Richard tells his co-host. “I always think at the end of the interview, I must tell Xander in person, which I never do.”
“That’s the nicest thing in the world!” Al;exander replies, telling Richard that he feels the same way about him.
Awwwwww.
No permanent replacement for Richard has been announced, with guest presenters taking his seat in future episodes.
Announcing he was quitting the show, Richard said in a statement: “Pointless has been a joy from start to finish, working alongside my friend Alexander Armstrong, backed by the most wonderful team, and for the best viewers in the world.
“I will miss everyone so much, but I’m thrilled that I’ll still be presenting the celebrity shows. I can’t thank everyone enough for twelve amazing years.”
In recent years, Richard has explored different avenues away from Pointless, releasing his debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, in September 2020, which became a bestseller.
It is set to be turned into a film after the right’s were purchased by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment.
Richard also fronts his own gameshow for BBC Two, Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Having started out in TV as a producer, Richard worked on Deal Or No Deal before appearing on the other side of the camera in Pointless.
He was not originally intended to be Alexander’s co-presenter, but after filling the role as part of a demonstration laid on for the BBC, executives asked him to continue for the first series, and he has been there ever since.
