BBC announce House of Games host after Richard Osman quit show

The BBC has announced who will replace Richard Osman as host of House of Games after he announced his plans to leave the show earlier this month.

Launched back in 2017 on the BBC, Richard Osman’s House of Games saw four celebrities playing in a series of games on five consecutive days to win daily prizes.

But after almost a decade, Richard confirmed that he is going to record one final week of House of Games, which is airing its ninth series, before handing the reins over to a new presenter.

“I am leaving House of Games. It will no longer be Richard Osman’s House of Games. It will be somebody else’s House of Games. I gladly hand over the keys. I just wanted to go on record saying how much I love it and loved it,” he shared in a statement.

Richard added: “It has been such a great pleasure, and honour, to present House of Games for the last nine years, with the absolute best team in television. But it’s time to let someone else have a go, and I’m very excited to hand over the House keys to the lucky new host!”

Now, the new host has been revealed as Michael Sheen. It marks the multi-award-winning actor’s debut as quiz show host, and it’s been confirmed that he will preside over the recording of 100 episodes that will be broadcast later this year.

Michael said in a statement as the news was announced on Monday (March 16): “Quite literally very large shoes to fill but as a huge fan of the show I’m incredibly excited to be able to move into the House and at long last see my silhouette on a fondue set.”

Tamara Gilder, Joint MD for Remarkable Entertainment, also commented: “We are thrilled to be handing Michael Sheen the keys to House of Games. The show has always been a love letter to those who adore quizzes – and we have a new host who loves them as much as we do. We can’t wait to start filming.”

Caroline O’Neill, BBC Commissioning Executive, added: “We’re delighted to have Michael Sheen stepping into the House of Games. His charisma and passion for playfulness will be a joy for audiences and we’ve no doubt he’ll relish throwing himself into a fiercely fought Answer Smash. We can’t wait to share this next era of the show with viewers at home.”