Richard Osman on his memories playing board games with his grandad
My grandad Fred was a police officer and in the army for many years, so he was tough, but kind. He was also fiercely competitive and taught me to play every game under the sun. Despite my best efforts, he’d always win and I’d think, ‘This guy is a genius. I’m so lucky to be related to a man who has such skill.’
Then, one Christmas, when I was 11, after consuming my nan’s delicious turkey, Grandad and I sat down to play Ludo. I rolled a double six. ‘Hard luck, miss a go!’ said Grandad.
I’d recently played Ludo with a friend, and rolling two sixes hadn’t meant miss a go in their rules. ‘I’m not sure that’s the rule, Grandad,’ I said, faking bravado. He huffed and gave
a bit of bluster until my grandmother, Jessie, piped up: ‘Do you know, Fred, I’m not sure that is the rule.’
A chorus of the family gathered around him, and his edifice crumbled. He’d been making up his own rules for board games for all these years. The illusion was shattered: my board-
gaming hero was a cheater! I couldn’t believe it. I was distraught at the time. But now, part of my job is to invent rules for TV game shows, so perhaps I have his cheating to thank for that!
We still love playing games in our family, so our Christmases can get competitive. And now I’m a dad, I can see why Grandad may have cheated. The first time my daughter, Ruby, then 10, beat me at Trivial Pursuit was a truly humbling moment!’
Richard’s latest book, We Solve Murders (Viking), is out now
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