Why Alex Trebek's Original Jeopardy! Replacement Lost The Job After One Day

Since the passing of the iconic "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek in 2020, the game show has finally found their permanent hosting replacement that many predicted would take the helm: the quiz show's own genius Ken Jennings (though no one can truly replace Trebek). However, before Jennings picked up the hosting job for the syndicated version of "Jeopardy!," the showrunners searched extensively to find someone who could fit. Former executive producer of the show Mike Richards recalled his shock when he initially got the job, and the painful sting when he was immediately fired.

"I hosted one day," Richards told People. He had been in the running for the host among celebrities like Joe Buck, Aaron Rodgers, and Katie Couric. Still, ultimately, Richards was chosen because of his background in hosting game show shows like "Million Dollar Pyramid" and "Divided." 

"Everyone was so angry because it looked like I had gone into a room and picked myself," he explained to the outlet. "And that's not what happens in television, but I understood that that's what the outward appearances were." However, concerns about placing Richards in the hosting position went deeper than nepotism.

The announcement of Mike Richards' new hosting position on "Jeopardy!" came with lots of backlash, especially regarding his behavior on other game shows where he worked. It was reported that Richards had been mentioned in multiple lawsuits during his time on "The Price is Right," including one 2010 suit from Brandi Cochran, who worked as a model on the show. She claimed that she was a victim of discrimination and harassment after becoming pregnant. 

According to the suit against CBS and "The Price is Right" producer Fremantle Media, Cochran initially didn't tell the show's producers that she was pregnant in 2007 because she had seen fellow models be fired because of it. Her co-worker, Shane Stirling, sued the network and production company in 2010 before Cochran had, claiming she was terminated because of her pregnancy. Cochran says she went through severe stress during the time she was pregnant on the show, which unfortunately resulted in a miscarriage.

When Cochran revealed she was pregnant again at the end of 2008, she felt discriminated against by the cast and crew on the show, including a distinct attitude shift in Richards. The lawsuit suggests that Richards did not congratulate Cochran on her pregnancy, and even promised other models more airtime because Cochran was pregnant. She was additionally told that Richards said: "Go figure! I fire five girls . . . what are the odds?" to which Cochran understood as he would've chosen to lay her off if he had known she would become pregnant (via Shegerian Law).

The anti-defamation league also initiated an investigation into Mike Richards after media outlets outed the new "Jeopardy!" host for the derogatory comments he made about marginalized groups — including Jewish people, women, and those with disabilities — on his podcast, "The Randumb Show." During one episode, Richards is recorded asking his co-host if she had ever taken a nude photo of herself, and when she said she has occasionally taken a photo of herself looking "cute," Richards replied (via The Ringer), "Like booby pictures? What are we looking at?" 

He issued an apology soon after, saying: "It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago. "Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Since his departure from "Jeopardy!," Richards claims that he was judged too quickly, but that he is opening up about the situation now because he wants to start an open discourse. "We can all disagree about a lot of things, he said (via People). "And we should. But I felt like there was this rush to judgment, and a lot of people got joy in saying, 'I got you.'" However, with so many fans begging "Jeopardy" on social media to keep Ken Jennings as host, they must be content with the show now that Richards has stepped down.