‘Jeopardy!’ Executive Producer Mike Richards Expected to Become New Permanent Host: Reports

After nearly eight months of interim guest hosts, Jeopardy! may finally be buzzing in with a permanent host to replace the late Alex Trebek. Mike Richards, who executive produces the ABC game show, is in advanced negotiations with Sony Pictures Television to become the host of the series, Variety reports.

A Sony Pictures spokesman told Variety that “discussions were ongoing with several potential candidates,” but could not comment on Richards’ status. Although a source close to the situation told Variety that Richards is “clearly the front-runner,” the show is still in the midst of talks with potential hosts. Decider reached out to Jeopardy!, who declined to comment at this time.

Richards hosted Jeopardy! back in February 2021, and at the time, fans eyed him as a possible permanent replacement for Trebek. He only hosted for two weeks right after Jeopardy! powerhouse Ken Jennings, who was previously seen as the frontrunner for the position, but Richards quickly won fans over.

“I’m hosting today and for the next two weeks to keep the greatest quiz show in the world going,” he said at the time. “We have some amazing guest hosts coming that I can’t wait for you to see. But with the COVID outbreak here in L.A., folks were understandably a little reticent to shoot. So as the producer, my job is to quite literally live the mantra, the show must go on. So let’s do what Alex did 8,244 times. Let’s play Jeopardy! and prove that nothing can stop this show.”

Richards joined Jeopardy! just last year as executive producer, quickly impressing Sony execs with his easy on-air manner. He has experience in reality television, having served as executive producer on The WB Network’s High School Reunion, The CW’s Beauty and the Geek, the CBS revival of Let’s Make a Deal, and ABC’s celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Back last September, Richards opened up about Trebek’s replacement while former champ Jennings was in rumors to take over for the series. Richards denied the gossip, saying that Trebek would stay on board until he said otherwise. “[Trebek]’s our guy, and he’s our guy till he tells us he’s not our guy, and then we can have a different conversation,” he said to The Ringer. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate to have that conversation until Alex comes to me and says, ‘OK. This is my plan.’”

But Trebek passed away in early November 2020, leaving Jeopardy without a permanent host. ABC opted to try out guest hosts in order to test the waters with audiences, inviting back past champs like Jennings and Buzzy Cohen, along with TV stars like LeVar Burton, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, and Aaron Rodgers.

“We will honor Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues,” Richards explained at the time. “By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”

Now, after Richards has shuffled a handful of hosts in and out of the game show studio, the time has finally come to crown a new host.

Jeopardy airs weeknights at 7/6c on ABC. Stay tuned for more details on the new host.

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