MIKE Richards said on Friday he will no longer host the iconic TV quiz show Jeopardy! amid backlash about offensive comments he made in the past. Earlier this month Mr. Richards, an executive producer on the show, was appointed to replace legendary host Alex Trebek, who died in 2020 after more than three decades on the series. “It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,” Mr. Richards said in an internal note to staff obtained by Reuters. Mr. Richards said he would be stepping down “effective immediately” and that production of the show on Friday will be canceled. Sony Pictures Television, producer of the show, will resume the search for a permanent host while bringing back guest hosts to continue production of the new season, the statement from Mr. Richards said. “We support Mike’s decision to step down as host. We were surprised this week to learn of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and the offensive language he used in the past,” a spokesperson for Sony Pictures Television said in a statement. “We have spoken with him about our concerns and our expectations moving forward.” Actor Mayim Bialik was selected alongside Mr. Richards to host prime-time specials and Jeopardy! spinoffs including a college championship tournament that will air on ABC next year, according to a statement from Sony Pictures Television. Early last week, disparaging and sexist comments made by Mr. Richards when he was the host of a podcast called The Randumb Show resurfaced in a report in online publication The Ringer. — Reuters

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