Mike Richards Out as New ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Amid Controversies
Mike Richards will not be the next Jeopardy! host after all. The game show is walking back its earlier decision to name the executive producer its permanent host.
Announced just last week, Richards was supposed to take over syndicated duties and The Big Bang Theory‘s Mayim Bialik is still slated to helm any primetime tournaments or specials including the upcoming Jeopardy National College Championship.
According to a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter from Sony Pictures Television and Richards, the decision comes following a flurry of negative press surrounding Richards including a past lawsuit as well as sexist and racial comments made on podcast episodes. Richards was supposed to begin filming episodes for Season 38 this week.
(Credit: Jeopardy!, Inc.)
“It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,” Richards stated in the memo. “As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show.”
“As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately,” Richards continued. “As a result, we will be canceling production today. SPT will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host.”
While the search begins again, Jeopardy! will implement its guest-hosting routine once more, welcoming new faces to the game show stage, “details of which will be announced next week,” Richards shared.
Along with revealing the news of his exit, Richards also took time to address the reasons he’s being removed from the hosting gig. “I want to apologize to each of you for the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy! over the last few weeks and for the confusion and delays this is now causing. I know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust and confidence.”
What do you think of the decision to remove Richards as host? Let us know in the comments section, below.
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Comments are closed on this story.
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Cancel culture gets another one. When will it end?
Back to Ken Jennings or Buzzy Cohen, in my view. NOT Levar Burton.
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I liked Mike Richards as host. While I like Levar Burton, I did not like him as host. I felt like I was being spoken to from the Rainbow Room. Too over the top. Mike was very professional. Next favorites are Mayim and Roger.
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definitely NOT Levar Burton!
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Too bad haters and social media have taken over the world.
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what TOTAL BS!! the cancel culture strikes again
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Richards was an excellent host. He seemed very relaxed and was able to make quick and intelligent comments to the contestants. The next host should be someone who is not already famous in some other field. The new host should not be the STAR of the program. I am sure that there are well educated people currently working behind the scenes in TV who could make an excellent host and not take away from the quality program that Jeopardy became with Alex Trebek.
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No more guest hosts!! Pick Ken or David Faber
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We thought Faber was fantastic!! He was humble and seemed to really enjoy being there. He would be perfect! He read the answers calmly and clearly and interacted with the players with interest.
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Mayim was too over-the-top, her comments were always about her, and her neuroscience degree. She was clearly the "star," which is exactly the opposite of what the Jeopardy host should be. I can't watch her. LaVar seemed to have difficulty following the flow, and really slowed the show down. Buzzy was great! He knows the show and kept it moving without attention on himself. And Joe Buck could host anything!!
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Totally agree. Would be delighted with either as permanent host.
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I think this whole revelation regarding Mike Richards from years ago is utter nonsense! I’m sure almost everyone has some thing in their past that they are ashamed of. Something they did as “kids” they would not dream of doing or saying now. Mike Richards was great as host of jeopardy. Let him be host. Please.
LaVar burton was terrible! Every time a person answered correctly, he yelled “yes” and I jumped up! Every Time! Crazy!
Thank you
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7 years ago. He was 39 then.
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David Faber, by far
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This absurdity just follows Bachelor dropping Chris Harrison. "Sins of the past," yeah. At one time or another in their early years, every single candidate for every single position crapped in their diapers. Disgusting! NONE should ever be selected for ANY position. flguy
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First, I would say somebody give Levar a commercial to broadcast so he and his followers can shut up. All they have done is argue and cause problems. He is a crybaby and honestly to old for the job. It is a terrible shame Mike stepped down and that alone shows the great character of the man. Some one needs to check Levar's closet. I would imagine he is not squeaky clean. Why didn't someone stand behind Mike at Jeopardy? Unfortunately, the world has got to accuse someone or sue them in the past few years. God forgives....I am so sorry Mike that the world has gotten so ugly and you have been cheated out of a good job that would have made Jeopardy the outstanding show it always was with Alex. The show is tarnished with LeVar crying about only having a week to host the show, olympics being on tv (which was lots better than LeVar and lets not forget begging for the job and getting people to request him and not even shutting up when the choices were made. Mike my prayers are with you and your family. Be safe.
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#1 Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialek
#2 Mayim or Ken
#3 Buzzy
And I'm sticking too it.
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This is too bad. He was the best of the guest hosts. One more victory for our “woke society”
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I liked Mike Richards from the start but evidently he has too much
Controversial baggage. I also like Mayim and glad she will be a part
Of Jeopardy’s future and Buzzy and Aaron Rogers. I thought Levar
Did a terrible job as guest host.
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For the good of the show... it was the right move for him to step down
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Sony should find someone who has the intelligence, skill, & charisma that has made Jeopardy worth watching all the years Alex Trebek graced the lectern. If Alex thought Laura Coates or Alex Faust would make a good replacement, why not let them try. Sony & the media have reduced the naming of a new host to a circus. It should not be! Forget who's Black, White, Latino or Asian. Sony's job is to collaborate with other members of the team, gather input, vet the person of choice & move on. By Vetting the choice it will eliminate all the controversy. Enough!
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I agree that it should not be based on a quota system that dictates the host should be determined by gender, race etc.. Some polls I've seen have proposed Lebron James and Rachel Maddow. WTH?????????????
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Keep looking for that host with a squeaky clean past (doesn’t exist).
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Those of you who are under 25 probably have no idea how pervasive and degrading verbal sexual abuse was when I was 25. When encountering it, my go-to responses were either pretending to not understand what was meant, and let them repeat themselves until they shut up (if they were that idiotic to repeat what they said,) or give them the "I could kill you" stare. Once, when this one guy didn't get the message, I asked him if his mother knew he was out late, at about 7:30 in the evening. That stopped his mouth. And one time, I had to be rescued by a friend because this one guy pinned me in a booth, and wouldn't shut up until my friend (male) told him quite insistently that I wasn't interested. Young women may forgive and forget, but we never will.
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Seriously Michael Richards was way ahead of everybody else in my opinion! I do think it’s cancel culture run amok! My wife had trouble understanding ken? Buzzy is non-controversial he should be the guy!
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Mayim deserves the shot!
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Is it Buzzy time? I hope so. He was #1 on my list followed closely by Ken Jennings and, surprisingly, Joe Buck. I thought he was great, but he will never get the gig.
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Everyone has baggage. If Mike isn't a good person NOW he shouldn't have selected. Please! Not another series of guests hosts! You can't please everyone but you can end up antagonizing everyone.
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I was sorry to hear that Mike Richards stepped down as host. I really liked him. What happened in the past is in the past. People change and I truly believe he regrets what happened and it will not happen again. It’s too bad Mayim Bialik’s schedule precludes her from taking over as host. I really didn’t care for any of the other guest hosts.
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I liked Mike Richards as host but if he is out I like David Faber.
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I think he made the right choice by stepping down This is the man that was to follow Alex Trebek No thank you.
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Mike Richards was and is my pick from the very beginning.
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It was the right decision.
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What about Alex Trebek's suggestions?is
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After Drew Carey endorsed him, I was sure Mike Richards had it in the bag but, yeah, all these past revelations would be indeed a distraction if they had moved forward with him as the new host of "Jeopardy!"
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Mr. RICHARDS' "non-apology" fit the almost universal framework for rich, White upper echelon executives in American theses days: say the word "apology" repeatedly in the statement, but never make so much as passing single syllable by way of explaining his past words & deeds, or offering anything that could be mistaken for an actual apology. Put another way, the sociopathological signature of the wealthy, the White, the ruthless.
Mr. RICHARDS should remove himself to the same neighborhood that Les Moonves went to after his borderline criminality was publically aired.
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I think it was a mistake to remove Mike Richards. I don’t know what he did in the past but it was a long time ago and I don’t think that should have anything to do with what he’s doing now! He was clearly my favorite. Ken Jennings is a nice guy but I don’t think he’s the best next choice. I would pick Bazzi Cohen or LeVar Burton in that order!!
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I am sick & tired of this Cancel Culture stuff. What Mayim Bialik said about women almost "deserving"(supposedly) being sexually assaulted because of the way they dress should be causing a firestorm also. Why not? And she also has had anti-vaccine views in the past. That is WAY more disturbing than anything Mike Richards has said. And BTW, I thought he was the best of all of the them. Anderson Cooper was decent, but I don't see him leaving CNN.
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Wait and see — I believe this move is in response to the backlash that erupted over LeVar Burton being rejected as host. The logical choice now is Mayim B.
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Mayim.Put her in the job full time.You can try to excuse Richards' past but it would have been a distraction as long as he had the job.The show is not about the host and now it would have been.
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