Yahoo Movies Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to fill in as 'Jeopardy!' hosts for rest of 2021 after Mike Richards exit
Actress Mayim Bialik and former "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings will fill in as hosts of the beloved game show for the remainder of the year following host and executive producer Mike Richards' exit.
Bialik will host episodes airing through Nov. 5, after which she and Jennings will "split hosting duties as their schedules allow," Sony Pictures Television announced Thursday.
Bialik was originally enlisted to host just primetime specials and tournaments while Richards hosted the nightly games, but Sony announced last month that she would temporarily step in as host after Richards stepped down following backlash over his past offensive comments.
"Jeopardy!" spent much of the past year rotating 16 guest hosts at the podium once manned by the late longtime host, Alex Trebek. Some, including LeVar Burton, Richards and Jennings, were contenders for the permanent slot, while others, such as "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts, were paying tribute to Trebek's legacy.
Richards opened the 38th season on Monday, after taping initial episodes Aug. 19. Sony previously said additional guest hosts would be announced at a later time until a new permanent emcee is named.
Bialik currently stars on Fox sitcom "Call Me Kat," which won't return until midseason, freeing her up to step in.
Jennings previously told USA TODAY that he didn't want to take over as host, because "it means we don't get Alex."
He added: "It's just sad for me to go out there, in a way, because I know that, like the audience, I wish it was Alex walking out at the top of the show."
Richards, 46, came under fire over the summer after offensive comments were resurfaced by a report from The Ringer. It included several quotes from a since-deleted episode of Richards' podcast, "The Randumb Show," which he hosted in 2013 and 2014 as a way to promote a behind-the-scenes look at CBS game show "The Price is Right," for which he was a co-executive producer.
In the podcast, Richards repeatedly used offensive language to describe and denigrate women's bodies and he also made an offensive comment about Jewish people, according to The Ringer's review of the 41 episodes, which have since been taken offline.
Richards originally stepped down only as host, not executive producer. But on Aug. 31 he was fired from that role too, one he has held since May 2019.
Contributing: Anika Reed, Amy Haneline
What is a debacle? How the 'Jeopardy!' host search went wrong with Mike Richards, and what's next
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to host 'Jeopardy!' for rest of 2021
