Richard Osman and Bill Bailey receive honours at Windsor

Reuters

Author and broadcaster Richard Osman was among a raft of figures to receive honours from the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, along with comedian and musician Bill Bailey.

Osman, the writer of the best-selling Thursday Murder Club novels and former host of House of Games and Pointless, was made an OBE for services to literature and broadcasting.

Strictly Come Dancing 2020 winner Bailey was made an MBE for services to entertainment.

Celebrity chef Marcus Wareing, a restaurateur and judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, was also made an MBE for services to the culinary arts and broadcasting.

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'Very proud'

Osman said he had "a nice chat" with Princess Anne about writing and quizzing.

Speaking to the Press Association after the ceremony, he said he was "very proud of being from Britain".

"I'm very proud of the opportunities this country gave me. I'm very proud of growing up in a country that's full of writers and funny people and creative people," he noted.

"I owe this country an awful lot, and I intend to pay as much of that back as I can."

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After developing and co-hosting BBC game show Pointless for 13 years, Osman moved into writing fiction, releasing the first instalment of his hit crime mystery book series in 2020.

The six books follow a group of pensioners in a Kent village who join together to solve murders.

Last year, the story was adapted for a Netflix film starring Dame Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.

In March, it was announced that actor Michael Sheen will succeed Osman, 55, as the presenter of BBC Two quiz show House Of Games.

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Osman and Bailey were both named in the King's New Year Honours list.

Bailey broke through in the mid-1990s and went on to have his own BBC comedy show called Is It Bill Bailey?, and later featured as the character Manny in Channel 4 sitcom Black Books from 2000 to 2004.

He has appeared regularly down the years on popular panels shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You and QI.

In 2020, the Somerset stand-up - then 55 - was crowned the oldest winner of Strictly Come Dancing.

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Meanwhile, Michelin-starred Southport chef Wareing, 55, began his career as a teenager working at the Savoy in London, before going on to establish several successful restaurants.

In 2006, he served a custard tart to the late Queen Elizabeth II as part of her 80th birthday celebrations.

Olympic rock climbing champion Toby Roberts - who won gold in the boulder and lead event at Paris 2024 - was also made an MBE on Tuesday.