Last fall, the world mourned the passing of the iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Nine months later, it appears that producers have identified the man they’d like to see follow in Trebek’s footsteps.
Variety has reported that Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards is the leading candidate to be the show’s next host. Richards has a long history of working with popular game shows. In the past, he’s hosted High School Reunion on The WB and Beauty and the Geek for The CW. More recently, he’s worked behind the scenes on The Price Is Right and the aforementioned, Jeopardy.
“A Sony Pictures spokesman said discussions were ongoing with several potential candidates. He would not comment specifically on Richards’ status. A source close to the situation cautioned that there’s no certainty that the sides will close a deal and that other candidates remain in the mix, although Richards is clearly the front-runner,” the report from Variety stated.
While Richards is now the leading contender to host the show, his resume of working with top-flight game shows does not come without scandal. More than years ago, he was tied to a sexual harassment lawsuit on The Price Is Right. Alongside fellow producer Adam Sandler, Richards was accused of repeatedly harassing and berating a Black model named Lanisha Cole who worked on the show. Adding on, Richards was also tied to a lawsuit by one of Cole’s former colleagues, Brandi Cochran. While Richards was not at the center of this lawsuit, he was accused of icing out Cochran after she revealed that she was pregnant. Cochran also claimed that Richards implied that she should be fired because she was pregnant. She was ultimately awarded a settlement of more than $7 million.
Despite his past, those close to the show identified Richards and former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings as the favorites to take over the show for months. In that time span, Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, actor LeVar Burton and journalist Robin Roberts have also emerged as potential candidates. Still, no one star managed to unseat Richards from the pole position.
