The exec was initially tapped to replace Alex Trebek, alongside Mayim Bialik, in 2021.
Now, the former exec is opening up about the circumstances that led to his hiring and abrupt firing.
“A conversation like that would have been so disrespectful.
Mike Richards on ‘Jeopardy’.Carol Kaelson/Jeopardy Productions
The list includedKatie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Buck,Robin Roberts, and more.
“No one was more surprised than me,” he admitted.
“They told me, ‘We’d like you to be the host of the syndicated version ofJeopardy!’
Mike Richards.Carol Kaelson/Jeopardy Productions
I paused, and said, ‘Oh wow.
What’s the media plan?’
Because I was very concerned that this was going to be scrutinized as closely as a presidential election.
Ken Jennings on ‘Jeopardy’.Christopher Willard/ABC/Getty
There was widespread belief that whoever got the job first wouldn’t make it.”
The decision certainly wasnt uncontroversial.
From there, the scrutiny escalated.
“I hosted one day,” he said.
“And then the anti-defamation league was called in to do an investigation on me.”
“I told them, I’ll answer anything.
I’m an open book, proud of what I’ve done.
“But by then everyone was like, ‘Oh he’s just a horrible person.
It was the price you pay for getting thrust into the zeitgeist in a very inopportune moment.”
We can all disagree about a lot of things.
We can disagree about politics, we can disagree about who hosts Jeopardy.
We can disagree about liking a finalJeopardyclue.
“If I pitched a show and someone asked, ‘Would you be you hosting it?’
I say, Only if you think I’m the right man for the job.
I don’t care if you have someone else in mind,” he said.
