And Just Like That, Mike Richards Is Out as the New Host of 'Jeopardy!'

Adrienne Westenfeld
·3 min read
And Just Like That, Mike Richards Is Out as the New Host of 'Jeopardy!'
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After weeks of snowballing scandals, Jeopardy! fans have finally gotten their way: Mike Richards has stepped down as the new host of Jeopardy!.

In a public statement, Richards wrote to the Jeopardy! team:

Dear Team,

It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter.

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 right now and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately. As a result, we will be cancelling production today.

SPT will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host. In the meantime, we will be bringing back guest hosts to continue production for the new season, details of which will be announced next week.

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.

Mike

Richards’ exit comes on the heels of a bombshell report by The Ringer’s Claire McNear, which lays out disturbing revelations about Richards’ podcasting past. McNear unearthed all 41 episodes of The Randumb Show, a podcast Richards hosted from 2013 to 2014 during his time as an executive producer on The Price Is Right.

Throughout the course of the podcast, co-hosted with two women who were his juniors at Price, Richards repeatedly used offensive language and disparaged women’s bodies, while also expressing sentiments of fatphobia, classism, and anti-Semitism. Following McNear’s report, the Anti-Defamation League called for an investigation of Richards’ comments. A source close to Variety shared that there was concern at Sony about Richards’ cavalier use of misogynistic language, coming on the heels of two high-profile discrimination lawsuits from his time at Price.

“We support Mike’s decision to step down as host,” Sony Pictures TV said in a statement. “We were surprised this week to learn of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and the offensive language he used in the past. We have spoken with him about our concerns and our expectations moving forward. Mike has been with us for the last two years and has led the Jeopardy! team through the most challenging time the show has ever experienced. It is our hope that as EP he will continue to do so with professionalism and respect.”

Can the Jeopardy! team continue working for Richards in his capacity as executive producer, in light of everything that’s happened? Only time will tell. In the meantime, LeVar Burton is doing great:

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