- Sony has confirmed that "Jeopardy!" will have two new hosts, including a star from "The Big Bang Theory."
- The Daily Beast first reported that executive producer Mike Richards will host the daily show.
- Actress
Mayim Bialik will be the host for primetime specials and spinoff series.
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"Sony Pictures Television is set to announce that 'Jeopardy!' executive producer Mike Richards will host the long-running daily syndicated program and actress Mayim Bialik will host primetime and spin-off specials of the famed quiz show," the Daily Beast first reported.
Insider received a statement Sony Pictures Television confirming the news on Wednesday morning.
"We are thrilled to begin the next chapter of America's Favorite Quiz Show with Mike [Richards] hosting our daily show and Mayim hosting new versions of 'Jeopardy!,'" Sony Pictures chairman Ravi Ahuja said in the statement. "We took this decision incredibly seriously."
"We knew early on that we wanted to divide the hosting responsibilities and it became very clear that Mike and Mayim were the undeniable choices," Ahuja continued. "They were both at the top of our research and analysis."
Fans of the ABC game show were surprised when Richards was first reported to be a frontrunner for the hosting job last week. Many people online had been signing petitions and tweeting enthusiastically about former "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton, hoping he would be the next face of "Jeopardy!"
Richards joined the "Jeopardy!" team as an executive producer just last year. After Variety broke the news that he was in "advanced negotiations" to become a permanent host, a report from The Daily Beast detailed how Richards had allegedly been accused of harassment and discrimination during his decade-long stint as a producer on "The Price is Right."
In response to that report, Richards sent an internal memo to the "Jeopardy!" staff.
"These were allegations made in employment disputes against the show," he wrote in the memo. "I want you all to know that the way in which my comments and actions have been characterized in these complaints does not reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on 'The Price Is Right.'"
Alex Trebek, the show's host for 36 years, died in November 2020. When "Jeopardy!" returned to air, Sony solicited a series of guest hosts, including both Richards and Bialik.
Earlier this year, Bialik spoke with Insider's Kirsten Acuna about her guest-appearance as a "Jeopardy!" host.
When asked if she would ever throw her hat into the ring to host more permanently and if that may be of interest, Bialik said, "I think it would be an unbelievable honor to get to be involved in any further way, especially as a woman in science. I'm super open to really anything, but also just so honored to be able to guest, and to, hopefully, not look like a fool."
Current guest host Joe Buck will appear on the show until August 13. "Jeopardy!" airs weekdays at 7:30 p.m. ET.