Current:Home > MarketsOusted 'Jeopardy!' host Mike Richards slams 'rush to judgment' after lasting one day on job -WealthRise Academy
Ousted 'Jeopardy!' host Mike Richards slams 'rush to judgment' after lasting one day on job
View
Date:2025-04-14 12:37:42
This former "Jeopardy!" host is speaking out after lasting just one day on the job. Who is ... Mike Richards?
Richards, who in 2021 was announced as Alex Trebek's successor on "Jeopardy!," spoke out in an interview with People almost three years after stepping down from the role amid controversy over resurfaced offensive podcast comments. The show's former executive producer argued he bore the brunt of the public's anger at a particularly divided time in the country and maintained that much of what was written about him was not entirely true.
"We can disagree about politics, we can disagree about who hosts 'Jeopardy!'," he said. "We can disagree about liking a final 'Jeopardy!' clue. And we should. But I felt like there was this rush to judgment, and a lot of people got joy in saying, 'I got you.'"
Richards served as executive producer of "Jeopardy!" when the show embarked on a search for a new host following Trebek's death, and he stepped behind the lectern himself while numerous guest hosts were being tested out. But while fans widely assumed former champion Ken Jennings would get the job, Sony Pictures Television made the surprise announcement in August 2021 that Richards would permanently host the syndicated show, while Mayim Bialik would host its primetime specials.
Given Richards' role as producer, fans accused him of effectively giving himself the job and rigging the search in his favor. Soon, The Ringer revealed that Richards had used offensive language in old episodes of a podcast. Amid the ensuing backlash, Richards took over as "Jeopardy!" host but filmed for just a single day before stepping down. He was also subsequently fired as executive producer of "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," although the five episodes he shot that day later aired.
Mike Richardssteps down as 'Jeopardy!' host amid accusations, will remain executive producer
Speaking with People, Richards maintained he was tapped for the hosting job because a company specializing in focus groups was involved in making the decision, and he performed well with the testing group.
"Everyone was so angry because it looked like I had gone into a room and picked myself," Richards said. "And that's not what happens in television, but I understood that that's what the outward appearances were."
After being chosen, Richards insisted "no one was more surprised" than him, as he also "always thought" the job would go to Jennings. He told People he immediately asked what the "media plan" would be, as he was concerned that "this was going to be scrutinized as closely as a presidential election," and "there was widespread belief" that the first person to get the job wouldn't last.
Richards also recalled being labeled a "horrible person" based on information he alleged was taken out of context, which he described as "the price you pay for getting thrust into the zeitgeist in a very inopportune moment." Since then, Richards said he has reflected on the "firestorm that engulfed my family."
Mayim Bialikannounces she's 'no longer' hosting 'Jeopardy!'
In a statement issued in 2021, Richards addressed his old comments, saying it was "humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago" and that "there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry."
Aaron Rodgers was the 'most prepared' 'Jeopardy' guest host
Trebek died in November 2020 after announcing he was battling pancreatic cancer the year before.
But according to Richards, no conversations with potential successors ever took place before Trekek's death.
After Trebek died, the quiz show utilized a rotating series of guest hosts for eight months before finally announcing its succession plan. Following Richards' ouster, Jennings was brought in to share hosting duties with Bialik.
Jennings is now hosting the syndicated version of the show himself, as Bialik said last year that Sony "informed" her she would no longer hold those duties.
But Richards told People there was one guest host who was "definitely the most prepared": New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who in interviews at the time said he wanted the permanent job and could balance it with football.
"I was blown away by that, the intensity in which he prepped, and he was so lovely to everyone on staff," Richards told People. "But ultimately I worried about his other job that he does on a pretty high level."
veryGood! (2)
Related
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Mother accused of starving 10-year-old son is charged with murder
- Taraji P. Henson says the math ain't mathing on pay equity in entertainment
- Australia batter Khawaja gets ICC reprimand over black armband to support Palestinians in Gaza
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid store hours: Are pharmacies open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
- Internet decor legends redefine the Christmas tree
- As the Israel-Hamas war rages, medical mercy flights give some of Gaza's most vulnerable a chance at survival
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Rules aimed at long-contaminated groundwater drive California farmers and residents to court
Ranking
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Lone gunman in Czech mass shooting had no record and slipped through cracks despite owning 8 guns
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
- Ohio governor visits hospitals, talks to families as decision on gender-affirming care ban looms
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- These numbers show the staggering losses in the Israel-Hamas war as Gaza deaths surpass 20,000
- Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' Kids Lola and Michael Share Update on Their Post-Grad Lives
- Police video shows police knew Maine shooter was a threat. They also felt confronting him was unsafe
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
2 10-year-old boys killed in crash after father fled from police, 4 others injured: Police
'Ultimate dream' is marriage. But pope's approval of blessings for LGBTQ couples is a start
ICHCOIN Trading Center: Leading Decentralized Financial Transactions, Driving the Legalization of Cryptocurrencies
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Tape reveals Donald Trump pressured Michigan officials not to certify 2020 vote, a new report says
Holiday togetherness can also mean family fights. But there are ways to try to sidestep the drama
ICHCOIN Trading Center: Stablecoin Approaching $200 Billion