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Former Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards is lastly speaking about what went flawed for him in his ill-fated stint as host two years in the past.
Richards was introduced because the full-time substitute for the late Alex Trebek in 2021. He lasted simply someday earlier than resigning after questions arose about his conduct.
“We by no means mentioned tips on how to substitute Alex as soon as we knew he was sick,” Richards instructed Individuals in a brand new interview. “A dialog like that may have been so disrespectful. We had talked about individuals coming in and visitor internet hosting if Alex obtained too sick. However we at all times knew Alex would come again till the day he determined he couldn’t.”
Trebek died of pancreatic most cancers in November 2020. At that time, a number of visitor hosts have been introduced in as executives struggled to find out who could be the host.
The tryouts included Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Buck, and Robin Roberts. Throughout the course of, Richards was inserted into the combination and ultimately, supplied the job.
“Nobody was extra shocked than me,” he stated. “They instructed me, ‘We’d such as you to be the host of the syndicated model of Jeopardy!‘ I paused, and stated, ‘Oh wow. Thanks. What’s the media plan?’ As a result of I used to be very involved that this was going to be scrutinized as intently as a presidential election. There was widespread perception that whoever obtained the job first wouldn’t make it.”
Richards additionally served as a producer of Wheel of Fortune, and added, “Everybody was so offended, as a result of it regarded like I had gone right into a room and picked myself. And that’s not what occurs in tv. However I understood that that’s what the outward appearances have been.”
Finally, particulars of Richards’ alleged remedy of a The Value Is Proper mannequin from a previous discrimination lawsuit instantly resurfaced.
“I hosted someday,” he stated. “After which the anti-defamation league was known as in to do an investigation on me.”
The investigation was fueled by an exposé in The Ringer, which detailed offensive remarks referring to girls, Jewish individuals, and other people with psychological disabilities that he made on a podcast he hosted in 2013.
“I instructed them, I’ll reply something. I’m an open e book, pleased with what I’ve accomplished. I’m pleased with my observe file as a boss,” Richards stated. “However by then, everybody was like, ‘Oh he’s only a horrible individual.’ It was the worth you pay for getting thrust into the zeitgeist in a really inopportune second.”
Richards stated he’s lastly speaking concerning the expertise to clear the air surrounding his expertise being within the cultural storm.
“I really feel like I generally is a pressure for good so far as having open, sincere conversations. We will all disagree about plenty of issues. We will disagree about politics. We will disagree about who hosts Jeopardy! We will disagree about liking a closing Jeopardy! clue. And we must always. However I felt like there was a— this rush to judgment, and lots of people obtained pleasure in saying, ‘I obtained you.’”
Because the firing, Richards remains to be pitching recreation present ideas.
“If I pitched a present and somebody requested, ‘Would you be you internet hosting it?’ I say, ‘Provided that you suppose I’m the best man for the job. I don’t care in case you have another person in thoughts,’” he stated.
Richards adde that there are not any regrets on his half concerning the Jeopardy gig ultimately going to Jennings: “I at all times thought Ken was the man.”