The ABC television game show Jeopardy! created by Merv Griffin has been searching for a permanent show host after the former host, Alex Trebek, died on November 8, 2020. Trebek had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since publicly announcing it in March 2019. His final episode was aired on January 8, 2021.
The show held “auditions” as celebrities became temporary guest hosts of the show. Some of the candidates that were chosen include Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, executive producer Mike Richards, actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers. Trebek had said in previous interviews that he suggested CNN legal analyst Laura Coates or Los Angeles Kings sports broadcaster Alex Faust to be his replacement. Neither Coates nor Faust has been a guest host for the show.
After several weeks of guest hosts, Richards was chosen to be the permanent host of Jeopardy! and the replacement of Alex Trebek. This decision was met with severe pushback from the public after looking through Richards’ past comments from 2013-2014. The main instance occurred on a podcast titled The Ringer. Richards used very disrespectful terms towards women, the Haitian, Jewish and disabled communities.
After the controversy came to light, Richards willingly stepped down from the position as host, but decided he will remain the executive producer. Richards released a statement to Sony Entertainment and the public stating, “It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,”. The show is now going back to guest hosting for the time being.
Bialik had been designated guest host for special primetime events and host for a possible spinoff of the hit show. Bialik was picked to be the first interim guest host to re-appear. The executives of the show reportedly want Bialik to become the permanent host. Bialik had previously played Amy Fowler, a neuroscientist on The Big Bang Theory.
There are currently calls for Richards to step down from his position as executive producer on the show following the controversy. Prior to Richards becoming executive producer of Jeopardy!, he was also the executive producer for shows like The Price is Right and Let’s Make a Deal. Richards is currently still employed by Sony Entertainment as executive producer of Jeopardy!.
People can watch Jeopardy! weeknights on ABC at 7 or 7:30 PM.
Carlos Mathis
Reporter