The search for the new permanent Jeopardy hosts continues, as Big Bang Theory star, Mayim Bialik, along with Ken Jennings, announced this week that they will host the legendary game show for the remainder of the year. Sony Pictures Television announced on Thursday, September 6th, that Bialik and Jennings will host the show for the remaining 38th season.
Bialik, 46, is set to host starting Monday and will continue throughout Nov. 5. Ken Jennings, who was a former contestant on the show back in 2004, is set to take over after Nov 5, and split hosting duties as their schedules allow. The news was announced about a month after producer, Mike Richards, stepped down as host and exited the show as a producer, following the exposure of his past offensive comments.
After the passing of the beloved longtime host Alex Trebek, the Jeopardy team searched for a host that could come close to filling his shoes, and Sony finally announced on Aug. 11, producer Mike Richards would be the next permanent host. A little over a week after the announcement, Richards stated that he would be stepping down as host as derogatory comments he made about women and other marginalized groups back in 2013 and 2014 were exposed all over social media.
Richards stated his past comments and the excitement of the show. He stated in an interview with PEOPLE magazine, “It is humbling to confront an embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago”. He added, “Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast, and I am deeply sorry.”
After those comments were revealed, Richards stepped down as the host, and he was then removed as the executive producer of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, which was announced by Suzanne Prete, the executive vice president of business and strategy for both shows. Prete stated in an interview with PEOPLE magazine “We had hoped that when Michael stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! It would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks, and clearly, that has not happened.
Richards has made other offensive comments and was accused of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace by two former models of The Price is Right, and Let’s Make a Deal tv shows. There was a lawsuit filed against CBS and the producer FremantleMedia. Although Richards’ name was not mentioned in the lawsuit, he stated in a staff letter following the allegations saying, “These were allegations made in employment disputes against the show”. “I want you all to know that how my comments and actions have been characterized in these complaints does not reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on The Price is Right .
Richard’s nine-day taping as host of Jeopardy! will air this week and next week.