Credit: Penguin Random House

British producer, TV presenter and author Richard Osman, perhaps most known to the New Zealand public for his best-selling crime series The Thursday Murder Club, was born with nystagmus. Reflecting on life with the condition, Osman told Level Playing Field that it has probably made him kinder and has played to his advantage in visual media.

Despite not being able to read an autocue and having to learn all his scripts by heart, Osman said he didn’t think he would’ve had the career he’d had if it wasn’t for his poor eyesight. “When I’m editing a TV programme, there is no point asking me about a certain camera angle or the lighting. I can’t really see it. I want to talk about the feel of the show. I’ve found that while everyone else is thinking about what the set looks like, I am thinking hold on, that joke did not work or that relationship between those two people is not where it should be, and that is all I’m focusing on, which is a useful skill.”

The global awareness day for nystagmus, organised by the charity Nystagmus Network. ‘Wobbly Wednesday’ is celebrated first Wednesday of November every year, https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/wobbly-wednesday/