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“Jeopardy!” game show announced that Mayim Bialik, former star of “The Big Bang Theory,” and American quiz show winner and consulting producer Ken Jennings will host the show until the end of 2021. The announcement is the latest development in the show’s search for a new host after the death of long-time presenter Alex Trebek in November.
The press release stated that Bialik would host several weeks of episodes then split duties with Jennings, hosting the same number of weeks of episodes.
The news was released nearly a month after Mike Richards stepped down in August, and he will not serve as “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” executive producer.
After the death of Alex Trebek from pancreatic cancer, Richards, Bialik, and Jennings hosted the syndicated game show. When Richards hosted Jeopardy in August, it received social media backlash because of his involvement in two lawsuits. In addition, reports have it of Richards making disparaging comments about women, Jews, poor people, and Haiti while hosting a podcast seven years ago called “The Randumb Show.”
In one of the lawsuits, former model Brandi Cochran for “The Price is Right” claimed she was discriminated against in 2008 after she got pregnant. The case did not list Richards as a defendant. The jury awarded Cochran more than $8 million, but a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overturned the award. Nonetheless, Cochran and the defendants settled out of court.
According to The Daily Beast, Richards treats Lanisha Cole differently than other models when she worked for “The Price is Right.” Richards was the defendant, and they settled the lawsuit in 2013.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
NBC News: Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to Host’ Jeopardy!’ through the end of the year; by Minyvonne Burke and Diana Dasrath
The Washington Post: Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will host ‘Jeopardy!’ through the end of the year; by Sonia Rao
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Adam Fagen’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image by Kinu Pand, Jeopardy! game board US/Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License