A leading contender to be full-time host of “Jeopardy!,” one of the most closely watched hiring searches in show business, responded Monday to backlash against his candidacy for the job, including allegations of gender bias.
In a letter to “Jeopardy!” staff members, executive producer
Mike Richards
confirmed he was in the running. “It is true that I was asked if I would consider hosting the show. I was humbled and deeply honored. No final decisions have been made and discussions with me and other potential hosts are still ongoing,” he wrote in the memo released by Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces “Jeopardy!”
When news surfaced last week that Mr. Richards was a front-runner to succeed Alex Trebek, many “Jeopardy!” followers reacted with surprise and even anger about what they perceived as a conflict of interest. As the producer in charge of running the show, Mr. Richards had helped facilitate the hiring search, but he didn’t present himself as a candidate vying for the job. Although he served as a guest host for two weeks last winter, at the time he described that stint as a last-minute necessity.
“I know I have mentioned this to you all before, but the choice on this is not my decision and never has been,” Mr. Richards wrote to “Jeopardy!” staff. The producer didn’t elaborate on his role in other aspects of the hiring search, such as coordinating 13 other guest hosts, or where his involvement in the process ended.
News that executive producer Mike Richards was a front-runner to be full-time host of ‘Jeopardy!’ angered many of the show’s followers.
Photo:
NATAS/Associated Press
In his memo, Mr. Richards also addressed lawsuits he had been involved in about a decade ago, which resurfaced on social media and in news outlets last week. The lawsuits accused Mr. Richards, as executive producer of “The Price Is Right,” of gender bias. In one suit, which was eventually settled, a former model on the game show alleged that Mr. Richards had lashed out at her and fired her for becoming pregnant.
“These were allegations made in employment disputes against the show,” he wrote in the staff letter. “I want you all to know that the way in which my comments and actions have been characterized in these complaints does not reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on ‘The Price Is Right.’ I know firsthand how special it is to be a parent. It is the most important thing in the world to me. I would not say anything to disrespect anyone’s pregnancy and have always supported my colleagues on their parenting journeys.”
Write to John Jurgensen at [email protected]
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