By Matt Jackson

Copyright walesonline

Richard Osman has revealed he is a lover of audiobooks because his eyesight is “not great”. The former Pointless presenter has become a best-selling author after launching his first novel in 2020. The Thursday Murder Club was a success with both critics and readers alike, even being turned into a film by streaming giant Netflix. And while he has a passion for storytelling, Richard admits he prefers to listen to his books. That is because he suffers from nystagmus – a life-long eye condition causing involuntary eye movements that blur his vision. The 54-year-old discussed his preference for audiobooks on The Rest is Entertainment. It came as Richard explained the prestigious Sunday Times Bestseller list ranks book sales from physical copies alone, instead of including the Kindle or audiobooks. Richard however says audiobooks have seen a spike in popularity. He explained: “Audio is becoming a bigger and bigger part of it and people are putting a lot more money into it. I’ve said before that I listen to a lot of audiobooks because my eyesight is not great and there’s a lot of people like that. “I think if you’re reading on hardback, audio or Kindle, it’s the same book, so it makes no sense that it’s not included. As a rule of thumb, you can maybe add on another 50 or 60% to hardback sales if you’re looking at audio and Kindle. “Later on when the paperback’s out that comes down a little bit but it’s a huge business.” Richard went on to say he would “love” to see the bestseller list adjusted to include digital copies. He added: “I see what the numbers say and then I see what the actual numbers are and those two things are very different. “I’ve never seen a situation where the audio and Kindle version made a massive difference to the chart, in terms of positions.” Richard has previously opened up about his struggles with nystagmus, revealing that the condition means he struggles to read autocues. Richard explained: “I see the world as if I was driving in dense fog, although I can’t drive. I can see that there are things there, but everything is blurred. “Nothing has sharp definition. Lights have huge halos that blind you. I’ve had it since birth so that’s all I know.” Richard said his inability to read the blackboard at school honed his listening skills to an “unbelievably good” level. It is a skill he says has played a huge part in his television career. “I’ve learnt to maximise what I’ve got. I can’t read an autocue, which means I have to be more reactive to what’s going on,” he told The i Paper. Pointless viewers once noticed Richard “shaking” because of his condition, leading to concerns the star might have Parkinson’s. In a social media post he clarified: “And for anyone asking, I promise I wasn’t shaking. I have a condition called nystagmus which makes my eyes constantly flicker.”