It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy as we look to start a new chapter, Richards wrote.
— Mike Richards
“It has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans … I will be stepping down as host effective immediately.”
Richards had already taped 1 week of Jeopardy! shows to kick off the quiz show’s 38th season. Those will still air as planned.
Not Completely Gone
Although Mike will no longer be the host, he will still serve as an executive producer on the show… which is an interesting decision amid the controversy.
Who’s Next?
With Richards out, the hosting duties fall on Mayim Bialik, who had already been tapped as co-host, but not the full-time gig.
Fans have already thrown Reading Rainbow icon LeVar Burton's name into the mix. Unfortunately, his test runs were rated the lowest out of all the celeb hosts.