Mayim Bialik, 45, will temporarily step in as “Jeopardy!” host for three weeks, following longtime executive producer Mike Richards’ decision to remove himself as full-time host amid controversy surrounding his past comments. Bialik will start filming episodes this week, which will air beginning Sept. 20. Bialik will film a total of 15 episodes which will air after the five episodes Richards had already pre-taped.
Richards and Bialik were announced as the new “Jeopardy!” hosts earlier this month, with Richards set to host regular broadcasts, while Bialik was tapped to host the primetime and spin-off editions of the quiz show. Both Richards and Bialik served as guest hosts of “Jeopardy!” this year as the show searched to find a permanent replacement for the late Alex Trebek, who died last year after a long battle with cancer at age 80. However last week, Richards stepped down as host of the game show after the recent resurfacing of misogynistic, racist and anti-semitic jokes he told on a podcast that ran from 2013 to 2014.
A Sony rep said: “As we move forward with production on this season of ‘Jeopardy!’, additional guest hosts will be announced.” Richards will still remain an executive producer of “Jeopardy!”
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