Alexander Armstrong insists no one can replace Richard Osman on Pointless

Alexander Armstrong doesn't want Richard Osman's 'Pointless' replacements to emulate his former co-star.

The 51-year-old writer and TV producer announced his departure from the BBC teatime game show back in April 2022 and now presenter Alexander, 52, has admitted that despite having stars such as ex 'Coronation Street' actress Sally Lindsay and former 'Blue Peter' star Konnie Huq fill his shoes, he wouldn't want anyone to try and copy his friend in any way.

He said: "We've got lots of them. So far we've had Sally Lindsay, Stephen Mangan, Lauren Laverne, Konnie Huq, and Alex Brooker. And we still get Richard back on Saturdays, so he's still around."

Asked if they are auditioning for a full-time role, he added: "No one's told me yet exactly what it is. The last thing I want is for all of them to try to be Richard because, you know, Richard is Richard. Last week he and I went to Wimbledon and he said how he's been writing solidly."

The duo had presented 'Pointless' - which sees contestants try to find correct but obscure answers for a prize of at least £1000 - together since its inception in 2009 but the former sketch show star conceded that had his co-star not quit the long-running show, he would not have been able to focus on his new career as a fiction author.

He told the Metro newspaper's SixtySeconds column: "He's now on his fourth book. He could never have done that if he hadn't given up 'Pointless'. So it's great he's had a chance to knuckle down and get on with his takeover as world's bestselling author!"

Richard previously admitted he reached a point where he couldn't give 100% of his energy to all his projects, and something had to give.

He explained: "I had done 12 years of it, so if one thing could go - because I still love 'House of Games', and I love doing the writing.

“It was just the one thing where I was like, you know what, let someone else have a go at this.”