# Mike Richards (television personality)
**Mike Richards** (Michael G. Richards, born 1975 in [Burbank, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/burbank-california)) is an American television producer, game show host, and television personality, best known as a longtime executive producer of the game shows *The Price Is Right*, *Let's Make a Deal*, *Jeopardy!*, and *Wheel of Fortune*, and for a brief tenure as host of *Jeopardy!* in 2021 that ended in his removal from the show entirely.[1](https://gameshows.fandom.com/wiki/Mike_Richards) • [2](https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/S37_press_kit.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975, Burbank, California[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mike-richards/) |
| Producing career | Co-executive producer of *The Price Is Right* from 2008, executive producer from 2009; helped sell the *Let's Make a Deal* revival to CBS the same year[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/988666/who-is-mike-richards-jeopardy-guest-host/) |
| Output | More than 4,000 hours of produced game show programming by the time he joined Sony Pictures Television[5](https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2021/0811/sonypicturestelevisionnamesjeopardyhosts) |
| Sony roles | Executive producer of *Jeopardy!* and *Wheel of Fortune* from 2020, succeeding Harry Friedman; named full-time *Jeopardy!* host on August 11, 2021[6](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/18/tv/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-search-process-past-comments) • [5](https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2021/0811/sonypicturestelevisionnamesjeopardyhosts) |
| Host tenure | Stepped down as host on August 20, 2021, nine days after his appointment; fired as executive producer on August 31, 2021; five taped episodes aired the week of September 13, 2021[7](https://www.axios.com/2021/08/20/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-steps-down) • [8](https://www.axios.com/2021/08/31/mike-richards-jeopardy-executive-producer) • [9](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-08-31/jeopardy-mike-richards-out-as-executive-producer) |
| Cause of removal | Offensive comments he made on his 2013 and 2014 podcast *The Randumb Show*, plus discrimination and harassment lawsuits from his *Price Is Right* years that resurfaced[10](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/mike-richards-out-as-jeopardy-executive-producer/) |
| Later career | Joined the conservative media company The Daily Wire in December and was later promoted to president and chief content officer; in May 2026 he was reported set to become its CEO[11](https://www.thedailybeast.com/disgraced-jeopardy-exec-surfaces-at-ben-shapiros-maga-media-hub/) • [12](https://www.tvinsider.com/1265719/jeopardy-mike-richards-daily-wire-fired/) |
## Early career and hosting work
Richards began in front of the camera. After graduating from college he pursued stand-up comedy, which led to hosting offers, and early in his career he worked for television producer [Dick Clark](https://www.edgepedia.org/dick-clark) as Vice President of Development and Current Programs, producing awards shows and primetime programming.[2](https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/S37_press_kit.pdf) His hosting credits include the WB reality shows *High School Reunion* and *Beauty and the Geek*, the Reelz movie news program *Dailies*, and two [Game Show Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-show-network) originals, the 2012 revival of *The Pyramid* and the 2016–17 version of *Divided*.[2](https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/S37_press_kit.pdf) He also has an acting credit, two episodes of the soap opera *The Bold and the Beautiful*.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/988666/who-is-mike-richards-jeopardy-guest-host/)
**Move into producing.** In 2008 Richards took over as co-executive producer of CBS's *The Price Is Right* and became the show's executive producer in 2009, the same year he helped sell the revival of *Let's Make a Deal* to CBS, which he also executive-produced.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/988666/who-is-mike-richards-jeopardy-guest-host/) He was a candidate to succeed [Bob Barker](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-barker) as host of *The Price Is Right*; the job went to [Drew Carey](https://www.edgepedia.org/drew-carey).[13](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/05/tv/jeopardy-new-host-mike-richards-sony) By the time he left both shows in 2019, signing a multi-year overall deal at [Sony Pictures Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-television), he had produced more than 4,000 hours of game show programming.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/988666/who-is-mike-richards-jeopardy-guest-host/) His producing work earned him Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show for *The Price Is Right*; Sony's 2021 announcement described him as a four-time winner and 19-time nominee, while the show's own Season 37 press kit had described three wins and 17 nominations.[5](https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2021/0811/sonypicturestelevisionnamesjeopardyhosts) • [2](https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/S37_press_kit.pdf)
## Executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune
In 2019 Sony announced that Richards would succeed Harry Friedman, who had served as *Wheel of Fortune*'s executive producer for 25 years and *Jeopardy!*'s for 23, taking over both shows starting with the 2020–21 season.[6](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/18/tv/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-search-process-past-comments) He was only months into the job when [Alex Trebek](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-trebek), host of *Jeopardy!* since its 1984 syndicated debut, died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.[13](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/05/tv/jeopardy-new-host-mike-richards-sony)
During the guest-host rotation that followed, Richards inserted himself into the lineup as a candidate for the permanent job. He guest hosted ten episodes from February 22 to March 5, 2021, averaging 2.26 million viewers according to LG Ads' sampling of smart-television data, a figure that came closest among the guest hosts to matching the show's year-ago audience performance under Trebek.[14](https://www.nexttv.com/news/jeopardy-ep-mike-richards-put-himself-in-pole-position-to-become-the-shows-permanent-host-analysis) Reporting later raised questions about the process: Richards was simultaneously a candidate and the show's executive producer, and *The New York Times* reported that he alone selected the episodes sent to focus groups, excluding the show's two supervising producers.[15](https://www.thewrap.com/jeopardy-botched-succsssion-mike-richards-sony-alex-trebek/) • [6](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/18/tv/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-search-process-past-comments) Richards and Sony insisted he had no say in the final decision, which CNN reported was made by Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra.[15](https://www.thewrap.com/jeopardy-botched-succsssion-mike-richards-sony-alex-trebek/)
## The 2021 hosting episode
On August 11, 2021, Sony Pictures Television named Richards the full-time host of the daily syndicated *Jeopardy!* beginning with Season 38, with actress [Mayim Bialik](https://www.edgepedia.org/mayim-bialik) hosting the primetime and spinoff series.[5](https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2021/0811/sonypicturestelevisionnamesjeopardyhosts) The announcement was met with immediate criticism from fans who had favored guest hosts such as [Ken Jennings](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-jennings) or [LeVar Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/levar-burton), and from industry observers who questioned the selection of a relatively anonymous executive.[15](https://www.thewrap.com/jeopardy-botched-succsssion-mike-richards-sony-alex-trebek/)
**Resurfaced controversies.** Within days, *The Ringer* reported on disparaging remarks Richards had made about women, little people, the mentally disabled, and Jews on *The Randumb Show*, a podcast he hosted in 2013 and 2014; a Sony source said the studio was unaware of the podcast's existence until notified by the publication.[10](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/mike-richards-out-as-jeopardy-executive-producer/) • [6](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/18/tv/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-search-process-past-comments) [Discrimination](https://www.edgepedia.org/discrimination) and harassment lawsuits from his *Price Is Right* years also resurfaced, including a 2010 complaint in which model Brandi Cochran alleged that Richards and other producers discriminated against her because of her pregnancy; she won the suit in 2012 and was awarded $8.5 million in damages, the decision was overturned the next year, and the case was eventually settled out of court.[16](https://time.com/6091755/why-mike-richards-stepped-down-jeopardy/) Richards apologized for the podcast comments, telling *The Ringer* it was "humbling" to reckon with his "misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity," and addressed the employment issues in a memo to the *Jeopardy!* staff.[11](https://www.thedailybeast.com/disgraced-jeopardy-exec-surfaces-at-ben-shapiros-maga-media-hub/)
**Removal.** Richards stepped down as host on August 20, 2021, saying in a staff memo that moving forward as host would be "too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show"; Sony initially said he would remain executive producer.[16](https://time.com/6091755/why-mike-richards-stepped-down-jeopardy/) On August 31, 2021, Sony executive vice president Suzanne Prete told staffers in a letter that Richards had been fired from the executive producer role, writing that stepping down as host had not minimized the disruption and internal difficulties.[8](https://www.axios.com/2021/08/31/mike-richards-jeopardy-executive-producer) • [10](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/mike-richards-out-as-jeopardy-executive-producer/) He had taped five episodes as host before stepping down, and those episodes aired the week of September 13, 2021.[9](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-08-31/jeopardy-mike-richards-out-as-executive-producer) Veteran producer Michael Davies of Embassy Row took over production of both shows on an interim basis and later became *Jeopardy!*'s permanent executive producer in 2022.[10](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/mike-richards-out-as-jeopardy-executive-producer/) • [17](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/snl-star-colin-jost-to-host-pop-culture-jeopardy-on-netflix/)
## Later career
After leaving Sony, Richards returned to media management. He joined the conservative news and commentary company [The Daily Wire](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-daily-wire) in December, and his promotion to president and chief content officer followed CEO Jeremy Boreing's decision to step down from that role in March to focus on the company's creative ambitions.[11](https://www.thedailybeast.com/disgraced-jeopardy-exec-surfaces-at-ben-shapiros-maga-media-hub/) In May 2026, TV Insider reported that Richards was set to become the outlet's CEO, nearly five years after his firing from *Jeopardy!*.[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/1265719/jeopardy-mike-richards-daily-wire-fired/)
## References
1. [Mike Richards, Game Shows Wiki](https://gameshows.fandom.com/wiki/Mike_Richards)
2. [JEOPARDY! Season 37 Press Kit, Jeopardy.com](https://www.jeopardy.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/S37_press_kit.pdf)
3. [Mike Richards, Producer, Host, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mike-richards/)
4. [Who Is Mike Richards, the Next Guest Host of 'Jeopardy!'?, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/988666/who-is-mike-richards-jeopardy-guest-host/)
5. [Sony Pictures Television Names Mayim Bialik And Mike Richards As Jeopardy! Hosts, Sony Pictures Entertainment](https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2021/0811/sonypicturestelevisionnamesjeopardyhosts)
6. ["A Smile With Sharp Teeth": Mike Richards's Rise to 'Jeopardy!' Host Sparks Questions About His Past, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/18/tv/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-search-process-past-comments)
7. [Mike Richards steps down as "Jeopardy!" host after offensive comments resurface, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2021/08/20/mike-richards-jeopardy-host-steps-down)
8. [Mike Richards out as executive producer of "Jeopardy!", Axios](https://www.axios.com/2021/08/31/mike-richards-jeopardy-executive-producer)
9. [Mike Richards out as 'Jeopardy' executive producer, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-08-31/jeopardy-mike-richards-out-as-executive-producer)
10. [Mike Richards Out As 'Jeopardy!' Executive Producer, CBS Los Angeles](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/losangeles/news/mike-richards-out-as-jeopardy-executive-producer/)
11. [Disgraced 'Jeopardy!' Exec Surfaces at Ben Shapiro's MAGA Media Hub, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/disgraced-jeopardy-exec-surfaces-at-ben-shapiros-maga-media-hub/)
12. [Fired 'Jeopardy!' Host Mike Richards Lands New Job at Right-Wing News Outlet, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1265719/jeopardy-mike-richards-daily-wire-fired/)
13. ['Jeopardy!'s Mike Richards Has a Decorated CV, and His Share of Detractors, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/05/tv/jeopardy-new-host-mike-richards-sony)
14. ['Jeopardy!' EP Mike Richards Put Himself in Pole Position to Become the Show's Permanent Host, Next TV](https://www.nexttv.com/news/jeopardy-ep-mike-richards-put-himself-in-pole-position-to-become-the-shows-permanent-host-analysis)
15. [What Is a Fiasco? How Sony Botched Alex Trebek's 'Jeopardy!' Succession, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/jeopardy-botched-succsssion-mike-richards-sony-alex-trebek/)
16. [New Jeopardy! Host Mike Richards Steps Down Amid Criticism, Time](https://time.com/6091755/why-mike-richards-stepped-down-jeopardy/)
17. ['SNL's' Colin Jost Expands His 'Jeopardy' Hosting Duties, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/snl-star-colin-jost-to-host-pop-culture-jeopardy-on-netflix/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Producers, studio executives, and showrunners › Television producers and showrunners*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license