Jeopardy! has found its new host.
The coveted position will reportedly go to Mike Richards, who is already an executive producer of Jeopardy! According to a new Deadline report, Richards is "finalizing a deal" to succeed Alex Trebek, and the search is over.
New Jeopardy! host Mike Richard replacing Alex Trebek: report
Since Trebek's tragic death in 2020, Jeopardy! had been cycling through guest hosts, ranging from stars like LeVar Burton and Mayim Bialik to Jeopardy! icon Ken Jennings and even NFLer Aaron Rodgers.
But the hosting gig now appears to belong to Richards, who had a two-week stretch as guest host beginning in late February. He's a TV personality and veteran producer who previously hosted Beauty and the Geek, The Pyramid, and Divided.
And the initial reaction to Richards nearly being named host has been divided — but the negative response has been especially loud on social media.
For good reason!
Fans react: Jeopardy! not picking LeVar Burton, Mayim Bialik
Just on Twitter, fans reacted to the news by calling it "a fix," seeing as Richards already produces the show. "He's an EP on the show, he literally hired himself," one commenter wrote.
Others called it a "safe" and "underwhelming" choice of yet another white male TV personality. But some also defended Richards as one of the stronger guest hosts. "Richards was the best choice for the hosting gig," one fan wrote.
Another added, "He has the right delivery style and temperament for it. Definitely top five from among all the guest hosts."
It also appears to be the end of the road for the massive online campaign to get LeVar Burton as the new Jeopardy! host. Fans believed the Star Trek actor would be perfect for hosting duty, but his eventual trial got somewhat mixed reviews.
Art Fleming was the original Jeopardy! host before Alex Trebek took over and became an icon in the role for over 35 years. Sadly, Trebek died last year on Nov. 8 after battling cancer.
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