‘It’s run out of money’ says Richard Osman as he issues brutal BBC warning that ‘more shows will go’
RICHARD Osman has given a bleak update on the BBC’s future after admitting that the corporation has “run out of money”.
The star has presented a variety of shows for the company including his current self-titled show, Richard Osman‘s House of Games.
In a rare move, Richard got candid about the current financial concerns at the BBC and revealed it was facing a cash crisis.
He made the surprise confession on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, where he spilled all on the difficult time facing the business.
The former Pointless co-host said: “The BBC has an awful lot less money than it used to, so some stuff has to go.
“The BBC has pretty much run out of money.”
He went on to add that the BBC will be forced to continue airing existing shows and repeats rather than investing in any new commissions.
Richard added: “All those mid-level programmes are sort of done.
“It’s too expensive to launch new things with the money they’ve got so we’re going to have the same shows for a very long time.
“And more topical will be dropping by the wayside. Everything has to sing for its supper now.
“Everything now how to pay its way in three different ways.
“It has to pay its way in ratings, then it has to pay its way in repeatability and it has to pay its way in international sales.”
Amid the current cash crisis, the Beeb upped the license fee last year from £159 to £169.50
Bosses hoped to hike the £159 levy by nearly £15 — but ministers pressed them to settle in line with September’s 6.7 per cent inflation rate.
Richard has been a face on the BBC for many years and is mostly known for his quiz formats, Pointless and Two Tribes.
Before his on-screen roles, he worked behind the scenes on hit formats including Total Wipeout as a script editor.
He previously admitted he wasn’t paid a penny for working on the first four series of Pointless after it took the show a while to find steady success.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror he said: “I didn’t get paid for the first four series or so of Pointless because I was the creative director of the company and I did feel like it wasn’t appropriate.’
“Until series four we didn’t have a hit and I was still doing my job. To me [hosting the show] was a fun hobby.”