Mayim Bialik will be the first guest co-host of the popular TV show “Jeopardy!” following last week’s departure of Mike Richards.
CNN confirmed Bialik on Monday.
Richards announced his departure on social media.
Richards’ past comments from a now-deleted episode of his podcast, “The Randumb Show,” have come under scrutiny since he was named as permanent host of the show. The podcast was created as a way, according to USA Today, to promote a behind-the-scenes look at the CBS game show “The Price is Right,” for which he was a co-executive producer.
Richards, 46, is accused of using offensive language to describe women’s bodies, as well as making offensive comments about Jewish people.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Richards has apologized for his comments.
In a statement to Fox News, Richards said, “it is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago,” Richards said in a statement to the outlet. “Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry.
“The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. Even with the passage of time, it’s more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and I have removed the episodes,” the statement continued. “My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and I intend to live up to them.”
Richards was recently named as the late Alex Trebek’s replacement for the show.
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