Mayim Bialik stepping in to host Jeopardy after Mike Richards controversy

Mayim Bialik will fill in as the host of syndicated episodes of Jeopardy! in the wake of Mike Richards' exit.

Sony Pictures Television, which produces the long-running quiz show, announced that Bialik is scheduled to tape three weeks of episodes when production resumes this week for a total 15 episodes. Additional guest hosts will be announced at a later date.

Bialik was previously slated to split duties with Richards, hosting Jeopardy!'s prime-time and spinoff series, while Richards would serve as the permanent host of the syndicated game show. However, nine days after he was chosen, Richards released a statement saying that he would step down as host. He will remain with the show as an executive producer.

Richards' exit came after pop culture website The Ringer published an article detailing comments he made on a podcast while executive producer on The Price Is Right.

In the podcast, Richards repeatedly made disparaging comments about women. This came on the heels of revelations that Richards was named in a lawsuit by former Price Is Right models who accused him of making insensitive statements, and taking other questionable actions around models on the show who became pregnant.

WATCH | Jeopardy! host Mike Richards steps down amid controversial comments: 

Jeopardy! host Mike Richards steps down amid controversial comments3 days agoMike Richards, executive producer of Jeopardy!, announced that he would step down as the show's host effective immediately. Richards's resignation comes after a report detailing his past misogynistic comments resurfaced earlier this week. 4:38

At the time of his exit, Richards had already taped multiple episodes of Jeopardy!, which will air as scheduled to maintain continuity with the contestants who won on those episodes.

Richards and Bialik were two of the guests hosts for Jeopardy! as the show sought a permanent replacement for long-time host Alex Trebek, who died November 2020 from complications of pancreatic cancer. Other hosts considered include LeVar Burton, Savannah Guthrie, Aaron Rodgers and Ken Jennings.

Richards' selection as host was met with backlash from fans of the show, who believed that he had used his position as executive producer to influence the process in his favour.

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