Mike Richards will now not be the manager producer of “Jeopardy!” or “Wheel of Fortune,” employees of the exhibits have been instructed Tuesday, after a firestorm of controversies compelled him to additionally resign because the present’s new host.
“We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host place at Jeopardy! it might have minimized the disruption and inner difficulties we’ve all skilled these previous couple of weeks,” wrote Suzanne Prete, a senior vp at Sony Photos Tv, in an inner observe. “That clearly has not occurred.”
Prete additionally famous she could be “extra concerned within the day-to-day on our exhibits shifting ahead.”
On Aug. 20, only a day after he started filming his first episodes as the brand new face of the present, Richards stated he would now not be its host. Two days earlier, The Ringer’s Claire McNear had reported that Richards routinely made sexist and racist feedback on a podcast he co-hosted throughout his time as govt producer of “The Value Is Proper.”
Richards, who has been “Jeopardy!” govt producer since 2019, already had lots of baggage. There have been questions on how intently he was concerned within the course of of choosing a brand new host whereas additionally vying for the place himself. Shortly earlier than Sony introduced that he would succeed the late Alex Trebek as host, a number of information shops resurfaced discrimination lawsuits from Richards’ time as govt producer of “The Value Is Proper,” which revealed allegations that he led a poisonous work setting.
The mounting controversies made it untenable for Richards to stay as host. But regardless of the revelations about his checkered previous, Sony had stated Richards would proceed to function govt producer and lead the present via yet one more transition interval.
“Mike has been with us for the final two years and has led the ‘Jeopardy!’ group via probably the most difficult time the present has ever skilled. It’s our hope that as EP he’ll proceed to take action with professionalism and respect,” the studio stated in an announcement asserting Richards’ resignation as host.
When it comes to his historical past of offensive remarks, the studio stated, “we’ve spoken with him about our considerations and our expectations shifting ahead.”
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