Best-selling author, Richard Osman, has opened up about his family life, revealing that he grew up ‘without freedom or money’ after his dad had an affair
Richard Osman has made a heartbreaking admission about his childhood
Richard Osman has made a heartbreaking admission about his childhood as he reflects on his formative years. The Pointless star, 55, who is also a best-selling author with his Thursday Murder Club smash hit, opened up about his family life, after revealing his dad had left his mum for another woman.
The TV star, whose brother is Suede guitarist Mat Osman, was just nine when his dad left the family home in a move which Richard said left his mum “struggling forever”.
Staying in Sussex while her husband moved to Warwickshire with his new partner, Richard’s mum, Brenda, now, 84, took a range of menial jobs before becoming a primary schoolteacher, but Richard admitted they didn’t have ‘money, or freedom’.
Reflecting on his past, revealing that he has made sure his family are now financially sound following the stellar success of his writing career, he told The Times: “I’ve made sure my mum doesn’t have to struggle, because she struggled forever. It’s freedom, money. Because I didn’t have freedom and anybody who grew up without money knows that.”
He added: “I’ve got more money than when I was growing up, that’s for sure. I’ve made sure my family are safe and secure.”
Richard’s mum lives in a retirement home in Sussex which provided the inspiration behind his hit Netflix film, The Thursday Murder Club.
In the show, stars including Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ben Kinglsey, play pensioners living in a palatial home in the countryside – while also serving cold case murders.
After his father left his family home, Richard explained that he cut contact with his dad and so did the rest of his family.
“It’s ok”, he insisted, adding: “The other side of my family more than made up for it. They’re a lovely bunch. We fetishise our family a bit.”
Richard previously said he had no interest in learning about his paternal family during his appearance on Who Do You Think You Are in 2022.
Speaking to Radio Times, he described his dad’s affair as the worst thing to have ever happened to him.
When the pair met 20 years later, Richard admitted there was no relationship left, which left the author with no wish to find out more about his paternal side when the opportunity came up on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?
Claiming it would be like “learning about strangers”, Richard admitted: “My dad’s side of the family wasn’t something I was interested in because that’s not the family I grew up in. It would, in a funny way, be like learning about strangers.”
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