Some things are just plain old pointless. The winner of Celebrity Big Brother or getting your hopes up that England will win Euro 2016. But for TV personality and Pointless presenter Richard Osman, it has made him into the TV Guru that he is today.
It seems like the 6 ft 7 inch quiz guru has never been off our screens for the past two decades. Well, nothing can be further from the truth as Osman has had a large hand in a number of different programmes.
He has either produced or wrote for a host of mainstream programmes such as Have I Got News For You as well as the highly Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway. Heck, he has even had an eye in on Million Pound Drop and Deal Or No Deal, for good measure.
Now in his fourties, Osman has found fame thanks to his on screen role with pal Alexander Armstrong. The BBC 1 teatime smash has regularly pulled in the viewers by the millions as they embark on filming their 1000th episode.
On top of this Osman has won a string of lady admirers despite his leggy and most notably bespectacled demure. His telly pedigree is impressive with Osman using his presenting prowess on other shows including Have I Got News For You and Let’s Play Darts for Sport Relief.
Yet one aspect that is far from pointless is Osman’s vision. The gentle giant suffers from an eye condition known as nystagmus. This has left him barely able to read autocues, whilst he can only see things when they are up close. Any images that are more than a couple of feet away are simply blurred with no detail whatsoever.
Osman’s debilitating eye condition, which he was born with, is so bad that sadly there’s no cure for it. Affecting just one in 1000 individuals in the UK, even wearing glasses only has the ability to improve short sightedness.
This neurological battle means Osman attempts to focus on a camera were stunted as both sides of his brain are telling him different messages. As a result, this leads to significant flickering of the eyes at a rapid rate.
Unfortunately, it is a constant battle with his eyes slipping and correcting constantly. His head would appear to shake slightly in front of the camera when he attempted to correct his eyes. Furthermore, those who experience nystagmus are not fully aware of this particular flickering.
Yet Osman’s nystagmus has not stopped him from embarking on a successful career in the media. His brother Mat who is the bassist from rock band Suede does not have nystagmus, but Osman has admitted that this eye illness can be difficult at times.
He admitted in an interview with the Mail on Sunday;
‘I don’t think I’d have the career I have now if I didn’t have poor eyesight. When I am editing a TV programme, there is no point asking me about a certain camera angle or the lighting. I can’t really see it. I want to talk about the feel of the show.’
In addition, his passion for sport takes in pool not to mention darts. However, he is unable to perform any ball related games due to his condition. Nystagmus means that for Osman he cannot undertake driving either. This is largely in part down to his inability to register busy road traffic quickly enough. Skim reading a simple page in a book is another tricky task, whilst recognising friends and family close by can prove to be quite cumbersome.
But we all know this lanky lothario for his specs. Osman is a fan of square lenses with thick black frames, which has been a regular part of his Pointless makeup. Both on and off screen, he has relied on his glasses to improve his short sightedness. Nevertheless, he has done everything in his power in order to raise the profile of nystagmus.
This was seen at the back end of last year when he became involved in the work carried out by Nystagmus Network. Entitled Wobbly Wednesday, the videos featured a cameo appearance by Pointless star Osman in raising awareness of the condition.
So if you want to look utterly pointless, check out our top 3 Richard Osman style glasses:
Budget – Savannah P2267
Look sharp in these Savannah P2267. If you’re on a budget, they’re the edgy take on classic geek chic glasses and highly similar to the pair Richard wears. With a square shape and thick arms, you’ll be clueing us up on Pointless facts in no time.
Mid-range – Barbour BO25
This Barbour BO25 model offers a complete rimmed frame and a cutting edge rectangular look. The bold and robust design is still as light as a feather due to it’s high quality acetate material. Available in Black that would complete a Pointless persona, or Brown Shell.
1. High Range – Dolce & Gabbana DG3195 NEW BOND STREET
Finally last but certainly not least is Dolce & Gabbana’s ultra retro DG3195 NEW BOND STREET model. With really thick chunky arms and full-rim frame, it looks as though it’s came straight out of the 50’s/60’s, which judging by Richard’s glasses style he may well be a fan off.
These specs are compatible with not just single vision but varifocal and bifocal lenses. Select from half a dozen colour choices to compliment your wardrobe.
