Fired: Mike Richards’ ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ producing days are over

Not only has Mike Richards been replaced as Jeopardy host before he could even take the podium as the gameshow’s new full-time frontman, he’s also just been fired as the show’s executive producer. Richards has been asked to leave his position as overseer of both Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (no word on whether Jeopardy’s new new temporary host, Mayim Bialik, will get to take over this role as well) after the continued outcry over his derogatory comments about women, Jewish people, the homeless, and those with mental disabilities on a podcast he once hosted.

According to a letter that was sent to the show’s staffers, the executives behind Jeopardy appeared to believe that the public objections to Richards’ role with the program would dissipate if he were removed from the hosting job. They did not (and the stories about the post-pregnancy discrimination lawsuits filed by more than one The Price Is Right model back in 2010 and 2011 when Richards was overseeing that show further fueled the opposition).

The letter, from Suzanne Prete, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy’s executive vice president, business and strategy, read “I’m writing to let you know that Mike will no longer be serving as EP of Wheel and Jeopardy! effective immediately. We had hoped that when Mike 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. That clearly has not happened.”

Prete closes her letter by telling the staff that she’s aware of what a difficult period it’s been for the show. “I know this has been a challenging time for the entire team, and I want to thank you all for your cooperation and professionalism over these last few weeks,” she wrote (via Variety). “I will be more involved in the day-to-day on our shows moving forward and I am looking forward to working closely with all of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”

Ahead of his total ouster from the show, Richards did issue an apology for the things he said on his podcast. “Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry,” read the statement he released. “The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around.”

With Richards out, the search for a new permanent host continues, free from his influence. Until then, more guest hosts will step into the spot where Alex Trebek stood for nearly four decades. A thought: as much as we love Jeopardy, could it be that there’s just no replacing him?

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