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Richard Osman says he pined for wife Ingrid Oliver for a year before meeting on the set of his BBC show – after therapist told him his ‘journey would only end when he found love’

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Richard Osman confesses that he missed his future wife, Ingrid Oliver, intensely for an extended 12-month span prior to their initial encounter on the set of a BBC game show.

In 2022, Osman got married after a fast-paced romance dating back to two years prior, which started when the actress appeared as a guest on his well-known TV show, House Of Games.

However, both the speaker and writer, aged 54, openly acknowledges that his fascination with Oliver, who gained prominence for her portrayal of Petronella Osgood in Doctor Who, was ignited by their past online exchanges.

He had come across Ingrid on social media platforms and found her humorously amusing, yet their interactions were limited to just one tweet, as he revealed to The Sunday Times.

I reached out to our common acquaintance, comedian Lou Sanders, to confirm if Ingrid was free. Unfortunately, she wasn’t available at the time. Exactly one year later, in 2021, Ingrid appeared as a guest on my game show House of Games.

This time, Lou informed me that Ingrid was free, leading to an extended day under the camera’s glare where I struggled hard not to be drawn into flirting. I barely exchanged glances with her compared to any other guest who had appeared before.

From a previous relationship, Osman already had two children. He sought therapy to tackle his struggles with food addiction and poor self-image related to his body. Despite this, he remained optimistic that the right person existed for him. Eventually, he met Oliver.

He had reached a stage where he felt content with himself and his job, but his therapist commented, “Your personal journey isn’t complete until you’re in a romantic relationship.

‘He was right. I’ve always wanted to be part of a team.’ 

48-year-olds Osman and Oliver decided to live together soon after working together, yet the actress confessed that she had some reservations about the idea of marriage due to her parents tying the knot a combined eight times throughout her turbulent upbringing.

She expressed that she had witnessed failed marriages, which made her reluctant to commit without absolute certainty.

Without Osman’s knowledge, the actress had previously undergone an unsuccessful in-vitro fertilization treatment a year prior to our encounter. This experience remained hidden from him until later.

When Richard initially inquired whether I was unattached, I indeed was. I recognized him from Twitter and television, and I found him to be an amiable, kind, intelligent man. However, I had chosen to pursue IVF and thought to myself, ‘I can’t embark on this journey if I’m dating.’ This is what she reminisced about.

However, despite this circumstance – and I assure you, I don’t want to give the impression of being overly intrusive – I had a feeling we would reunite eventually. I attempted In Vitro Fertilization three times (it was incredibly challenging), but finally accepted that it wasn’t meant to be. By the time Richard reached out again, I had come to terms with that journey and was prepared to embrace new beginnings.

Previously, Osman mentioned to HELLO magazine about their encounter: “Ingrid appeared on House of Games. I recognized her from social media, but we hadn’t ever crossed paths before – I hadn’t met her personally. I must confess, there was a hint of excitement in my eyes.

‘She came on, we filmed that day together. Our first date is completely on camera. After filming, I was thinking, “How can I ask her for a drink, this is difficult.”‘

2022 saw him grace the Christmas Day special of Desert Island Discs, where he expressed contentment, stating: “I am at peace with myself, blessed with these stunning children, and I have found the companion I will spend the remainder of my life with.

It becomes clear over time that the drive for competition and ambition is not sustained by rocket fuel; instead, it’s all about finding joy in life. My children and Ingrid are the sources of that joy for me.

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2025-07-20 12:21

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