Richard Osman says “it was important to me” as a long-term health battle inspired a career decision. The House of Games presenter was born with nystagmus, a condition that is described by the NHS as an involuntary, usually constant eye movement.
Often described as “wobbling” or “dancing eyes” the condition usually results in some form of visual impairment. It means that Richard, 55, struggles to read autocues when he is on set and has an “inability to focus”. He often finds himself “constantly moving from left to right” as he deals with the condition.
Richard has likened his condition to “driving in dense fog,” although he admits it means he cannot actually drive. He said: “I can see that there are things there, but everything is blurred. Nothing has sharp definition. Lights have huge halos that blind you. I've had it since birth so that's all I know."
Richard insists that not being able to read the blackboard at school meant he became “unbelievably good” at listening. It has also sparked a big decision when it comes to his writing career.
In 2020 Richard released his debut novel The Thursday Murder Club. The book received critical acclaim and has been described as the “fastest selling adult crime debut" by the Guardian.
It has led to four more books, a Netflix film adaptation, and Richard’s follow-up series We Solve Murders. On The Rest is Entertainment podcast, Richard revealed he makes sure each of his books have a large print adaptation to help people with visual impairments.
After being asked what font his books are released in and whether he’d opt for a more accessible typeface, Richard replied: “It’s in Garamond, which is the Penguin Random House font, but they do show you galley proofs and all that beforehand and, as I’m sure you know I have visual difficulties, and I’ve always been comfortable with Garamond.
“They showed me other fonts and none of them are particularly more useful than any of the others for me, so I always make sure there are large print versions of all the books as well, in all of the different territories, that is important to me.
“I listen to a lot of audiobooks anyway and I know exactly what you mean, it’s the size of the font really. Garamond is fine for me.”
Richard previously revealed that his eyesight means he has to adjust when fronting House of Games. Speaking to The I Paper, he said: “I've learnt to maximise what I've got. I can't read an autocue, which means I have to be more reactive to what's going on.”
According to Moorfields Eye Hospital, around one in 1,500 suffer from nystagmus. The website also states that it can be hereditary, but there are also many other reasons why people may have it.
Richard opened up about the condition in 2013 after concerns were raised by Pointless fans. They claimed he was “shaking” which prompted concerns the presenter might have Parkinson’s Disease.
Writing on social media platform X, he said: "And for anyone asking, I promise I wasn't shaking. I have a condition called nystagmus which makes my eyes constantly flicker."
Richard has also been open about his struggles with an eating addiction, which he believes stemmed from his father leaving during his childhood. Sharing an honest insight into how he has coped with it, he confessed that he doubts there will ever be a day when he doesn't have it.
As a guest on Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, he said: "I don't think I'd ever be out of it - out of it for sure. But certainly, yeah, I'm comfortable with everything at the moment. But I know it'll come back."
Richard went on to say he has sought help from a therapist, who has provided further clarity on the situation. He added: "I talk to Bruce [his therapist] about it all the time and he says, 'Well, you're always going to be an addict. You can't [stop being one] because you started when you were nine. You're not suddenly going to not be one'."
