Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings was long believed to be Alex Trebek’s chosen successor for when the beloved host succumbed to his battle with cancer, but fans of the classic trivia game show were stunned when executive producer Mike Richards was chosen as the new permanent host. Since that decision, a wave of controversy has plagued Richards, and he found himself once again having to defend past remarks after a new report from The Ringer uncovered even more troubling remarks.
The report also delved into Richards’ reported undue influence over the selection process, which prompted a response from Jennings, who is taking a diplomatic approach to essentially being shafted by Richards.
“Obviously I’m disappointed with how this process played out, but I’d rather look ahead,” Jennings told The Ringer. “I plan to be with the show as long as they’ll have me, no matter who’s hosting.”
Jennings is being especially gracious because, as The Ringer reveals, he was the host who had his guest stint curtailed after Richards apparently exaggerated a “scheduling conflict” to get himself on the show:
Jennings taped six weeks of episodes before a minor conflict with an upcoming tape day emerged. As The Ringer previously reported, sources say the show’s production staff was able to accommodate the conflict, only for Richards to step in and insist on hosting instead. When the time came to tape the preamble to his first episode, Richards blamed COVID-19 for the change and exaggerated the nature of Jennings’s conflict.
As of now, Sony Pictures Television is sticking with Richards as the new host of Jeopardy!, but it’ll be curious to see how the situation continues as more of his questionable behavior has been brought to light.
(Via The Ringer)
