“Jeopardy!” Finds Replacement Host In Midst Of Controversy

Jeopardy! / ABC via TODAY / YouTube

Jeopardy! has found someone to take the reins of the show…for now.

Following longtime host Alex Trebek’s death at the end of 2020, Jeopardy! has been led by a series of rotating guest hosts. Some of the guest hosts were Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, and Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton.

On August 11, it was announced that Mike Richards would be taking over as the show’s permanent host. Richards currently serves as the executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

It was also announced that actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik would serve as the host of primetime Jeopardy! specials and potential spinoff series.

However, Richards resigned from his hosting gig just a little over a week later.

According to TVLine, the new Jeopardy! host faced controversy after previous “offensive” jokes of his resurfaced. Richards has “also has been the subject of discrimination allegations and lawsuits” from his time spent working on The Price Is Right:

“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,” Richards wrote in an internal memo to Jeopardy! staff members, as quoted by TVLine. “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.”

Now that Richards is no longer leading the charge, Jeopardy! needed to find a new host. Instead of naming a new, permanent host, the show opted to continue using guest hosts for the time being.

The first guest host to take control of Jeopardy! after Richards’ resignation will be none other than Bialik.

According to the New York Post, Bialik will now tape 15 episodes of Jeopardy! (meaning she will serve as the guest host of the show for three weeks). Jeopardy! is expected to resume production this week, which is when Bialik will film her episodes.

After Bialik’s run as guest host comes to an end, it seems Jeopardy! is in no rush to name a new permanent host. The New York Post reports that additional guest hosts will be named in the coming weeks.

Only time will tell if Bialik will eventually become the permanent host of the regular series and the specials, or if someone new will step up to the podium as the full-time host of the show.