Mike Richards’ loss of the Jeopardy! host job wasn’t addressed in LeVar Burton’s “good Friday, y’all,” but James Holzhauer’s tweet was.
“I was really looking forward to the season premiere, where the show looks past the three obvious candidates and declares Mike Richards the winner after an exhaustive 61-clue search for the next Jeopardy champion,” the Jeopardy! legend, who had a 32-episode winning streak on the syndicated game show (making him the third highest-grossing contestant of all-time), wrote on Twitter. Ken Jennings, another well-known former Jeopardy! contestant, has yet to comment. But it’ll undoubtedly happen.
This isn’t the first time Holzhauer has weighed in on Alex Trebek’s replacement. “Also new for next season: participants can submit two Final Jeopardy solutions in case the first one sparks public backlash,” Richards tweeted after it was announced that he and Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory would split hosting responsibilities. It’s unclear who his “three obvious candidates” are, but they’re most likely Burton, Aaron Rodgers, and “Weird Al” Yankovic from the music video “I Lost on Jeopardy.”
After rude statements he made on a podcast several years ago resurfaced in a piece on The Ringer, Richards stepped down (a.k.a. quit) as Jeopardy! host. In a statement, Sony Pictures Entertainment said, “We support Mike’s decision to stand down as host.” “We were taken aback last week when we learned of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and his previous usage of harsh language. We’ve discussed our concerns and expectations for the future with him.” Richards will continue to serve as an executive producer.
