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Mike Richards Is No Longer 'Jeopardy!' Executive Producer, After Being Ousted As Host

Mike Richards accepts a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding game show for <em>The Price is Right</em> in 2016.
Joe Scarnici
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WireImage/Getty Images
Mike Richards accepts a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding game show for The Price is Right in 2016.

After weeks of tumult at Jeopardy!, Mike Richards has departed from the show altogether. He is the show's erstwhile executive producer and was recently named one of the game show's two new hosts — but stepped down just days after The Ringer detailedsexist and other inappropriate comments he had made in his former role as a podcast host.

Less than two weeks ago, Sony Pictures Television told NPR in an emailed statement: "Richards will remain in his role leading the show." The company spokesperson added, "It is our hope that as EP, he will continue to do so with professionalism and respect."

But on Tuesday, Sony Pictures Television shared with NPR a memo sent by Suzanne Prete, the executive vice president of business and strategy for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, to the two game shows' staff. In part, it reads:

"Dear Team,

I'm writing to let you know that Mike will no longer be serving as EP of Wheel and Jeopardy! effective immediately. We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks. That clearly has not happened."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Anastasia Tsioulcas is a reporter on NPR's Arts desk. She is intensely interested in the arts at the intersection of culture, politics, economics and identity, and primarily reports on music. Recently, she has extensively covered gender issues and #MeToo in the music industry, including backstage tumult and alleged secret deals in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against megastar singer Plácido Domingo; gender inequity issues at the Grammy Awards and the myriad accusations of sexual misconduct against singer R. Kelly.