'Jeopardy' Staff Left Blindsided After EP Mike Richards Announced As Alex Trebek Replacement

"Jeopardy!" is becoming a show that is now full of drama and controversy - significantly different from what everybody once knew. 

When the executive producer Mike Richards was announced to be Alex Trebek's permanent replacement on the show, the news wasn't met with the warmest welcome. 

After 15 months of being the show's executive producer Richards is slated to take the helm for the show after a series of guest hosts took over after Trebek's death in November. 

Many long-time fans have expressed their disappointment after hosts such hosts as Aaron Rodgers and LeVar Burton were not picked to be permanent hosts. However, one of the fan-favorites, Mayim Bialik, was able to get herself a spot on the show as prime-time tournament host. 

An insider with inside knowledge on the show told The Ringer that "Jeopardy!" staff were left blindsided by Sony's announcement. 

Insiders told the outlet that staff morale had immediately deteriorated when Mike Richards became part of the executive producer. 

Sources from Sony, the show, and other shows such as "The Price is Right" and even "Let's Make a Deal" described Richards as someone who is non-inclusive and consistently dismissive towards the show's staff.

They also suggested that Richards wasn't shy about finally wanting to be on the front of the camera. 

One former worker for "Let's Make a Deal" revealed, "When I worked there, it just seemed to be something everyone knew."

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Meanwhile, Mike Richards hasn't been on the podium as the permanent host just yet, but more dirty laundry has been exposed about him - he even apologized to some of it recently.

On Wednesday, his comments on "The Randumb Show" podcast have resurfaced, and he explained that what he said was "intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between long-time friends who had a history of joking around."

Richards went on to say, "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."

"It was humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago." 

"Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast."

Meanwhile, "Jeopardy!" is currently airing reruns, showing classic episodes with legendary host Alex Trebek. 

The 38th season of "Jeopardy!" will start on Sept. 13, with Richards already hosting the show by then.

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