Mike Richards has stepped down as the new co-host of Jeopardy! after resurfaced comments and incidents from his past.
Richards, who is also the executive producer of the long-running quiz show, released a statement to announce his decision.
“It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,” he wrote. “As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show.”
Richards also went on to apologise for “the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy!” as a result.
The news comes a day after the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for an investigation into his behaviour following a report by the Ringer resurfaced comments he made on his comedy podcast The Randumb Show in 2013 and 2014 as well as a history of lawsuits and problematic behaviour.
“New Jeopardy! host Mike Richards’ disparaging remarks about Jews, women & Asians are no laughing matter,” the ADL said in a statement. “Stereotyping is an entry point to hate and his apology lacks acknowledgment of its harm. This reported pattern warrants an investigation.”
The report stated that a review of the episodes found that Richards “repeatedly used offensive language and disparaged women’s bodies” as well as jokes about Jewish and Asian people. In a statement issued to the Ringer, Richards wrote that it was “humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago”.
The Daily Beast also found that multiple women sued Richards and other producers during his time at The Price is Right for discrimination and harassment. Richards said the way his comments and actions had been characterised “do not reflect the reality” of working on the show and the person he is.
Richards was announced as a successor to the longtime host Alex Trebek, who died last year, earlier this month along with co-host Mayim Bialik. It’s believed that he will remain a producer on the show.
“We support Mike’s decision to step down as host,” Sony Pictures TV said in a statement. “We were surprised this week to learn of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and the offensive language he used in the past. We have spoken with him about our concerns and our expectations moving forward.”
