‘Jeopardy!’ Fans React After James Holzhauer Takes Dig at Former EP Mike Richards

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James Holzhauer has sparked a big reaction from Jeopardy! fans after taking a swipe at the show’s former executive producer Mike Richards in a new tweet.

The beloved super-champion, who is one of the show’s all-time greats, decided to make fun of Mike Richards after news dropped on October 20 that rapper Jay-Z had chosen himself to be the 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer. Nothing has been confirmed by the NFL yet, but Puck and TMZ both reported the news. Jay-Z is one of the bigwigs in charge of choosing who will perform each year, and instead of going with Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, who were heavily rumored, he picked himself to perform on February 14, 2027.

Holzhauer, who holds the top 10 spots for single-game winnings, quote-tweeted TMZ’s story saying that Jay-Z chose himself, and included a picture of Richards behind the Jeopardy! podium. Richards famously chose himself to be host of Jeopardy! but lasted just a few days before exiting in controversial circumstances.

After Alex Trebek‘s death in November 2020, the game show went through a slew of guest hosts. When Sony stopped their exhaustive search, they settled on none other than Richards, who was the EP at the time.

https://t.co/yBJ0hK6Yju

— James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) October 20, 2026

However, Richards only hosted five episodes before he was fired. Accusations of workplace discrimination and insensitive comments made on a 2013 podcast were made public during that time, and he was axed from the program. Jeopardy! then brought in Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings as cohosts, with Jennings eventually becoming the sole host.

Richards, who had been EP at Jeopardy! for a year before being fired, previously worked on Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. In May, he took a new job with The Daily Wire.

Fans reacted to the dig from Holzhauer. “A quick-witted guy,” a Reddit user said.

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“Sick burn,” another commented.

“Legit I had the exact same thought but didn’t think anyone would get it,” a third added.

“Gotta love that dude lol,” one fan said.

“That is literally what I thought when I saw the headline,” a fan said.

“James’ humor is acquired, but this is spot on!!” a Reddit user wrote.

“I know Ken may have won, but this is a GOAT tweet,” another said.

“This is one of the greatest tweets I’ve ever seen,” a fan commented.

“James is the f**king best!” one last fan said.

Who do you think should be the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer? Did you get Holzhauer’s joke? Let us know in the comments.

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