‘THE PRICE YOU PAY’

Mike Richards Speaks Out on Firestorm That Ended His Gig as ‘Jeopardy!’ Host

The former “Jeopardy!” producer blamed it on “getting thrust into the zeitgeist in a very inopportune moment.”

Former Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards is finally talking about exiting the show just a day after replacing beloved host Alex Trebek. As filming for the show began, insensitive comments Richards made on his podcast years before resurfaced, leading the Anti-Defamation League to call for an investigation. Richards apologized, saying there was “no excuse” for his “misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity.” A wrongful termination and discrimination suit in which Richards was named by a group of models on The Price Is Right, another show he’d worked on, also made news. He was dropped from the suit, Richards told People it had been wrongly insinuated that he was sued for sexual harassment. He ended up leaving the Jeopardy! podium after one day. “I did spend a lot of time reflecting on everything that had happened,” he said. “I mean, it was quite a firestorm that engulfed my family.” Richards suggested he was a conduit for people’s anger during the pandemic: “It was the price you pay for getting thrust into the zeitgeist in a very inopportune moment.”