Richard Osman 'could cost BBC's The Wheel millions' after breaking vital rule

Richard Osman said his rule-breaking on The Wheel could cost the producers millions if shown on air

Richard Osman has let slip that he might have cost the producers of The Wheel a fortune after he flouted a crucial rule on the BBC game show.

The 53-year-old presenter, who will feature as one of the celebrity experts when the series makes a comeback later this year, insisted that some of his cutaways might get the chop to dodge a massive bill.

Fresh from his stint on the set last week, Richard returned to The Rest is Entertainment podcast to discuss his experience and respond to fans eager to know about the behind-the-scenes gossip. During the discussion with his co-host Marina Hyde, Richard began by hailing the show's frontman Michael McIntyre's "masterclass" in presenting.

He gushed: "He's so brilliant, he's brilliant with the punters, he's brilliant with the celebrity experts. He absolutely drives that show through. You need constant energy on that show and he just is incredible."

Richard also tipped his hat to the show's musical maestro Paul Farrer, before admitting he might be in hot water for not sticking to the rules. He continued: "The Wheel music is absolutely amazing.

"The one thing they said was, 'Don't sing along with the lyrics of the songs when you go round because they can't use it if you're mouthing the lyrics'. I mouthed along to every single one, I'm not sure if they can use it, I absolutely couldn't help myself."

Laughing, Marina suggested that he could be the "£300,000 guest" to which he added: "It would literally cost them millions, but it was really a lovely experience."

Representatives for Hungry McBear and the BBC have been approached for comment. Also on the The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, the Pointless host shared that a fellow celebrity panellist had to pull out during filming due to the dizziness induced by the spinning wheel.

As per the show's format, contestants at the heart of The Wheel must choose a category in an attempt to win a cash prize that could change their life. The contestant is paired with a celebrity expert from a panel chosen through a high-energy spin of the wheel.

While he wasn't allowed to say the name of the celebrity who had fallen ill, he did share: "They were nauseous, it spins pretty quick. It's not SAS, are you tough enough? But, it's not far off!".

The show's host has previously admitted that the spinning wheel aspect had dissuaded some celebrities who stated that they suffered from vertigo. In response, he clarified: "There's no vertigo! I had to keep telling them that it is a flat spinning wheel, like a turntable.

"It's not a Ferris wheel. But when I was mentioning it to various people, they'd be like, 'Oh, I'm frightened of heights'."

Adding onto this, he told Stuff: "I ran into David Walliams and he just kept saying, 'Will my head get cut off?' "I said, 'You don't understand what I'm trying to explain to you. It's just a round circle, like a massive tea cup'."