New Jeopardy! host Mike Richards quit the show after a brief stint after being named the new permanent host of the show.
The follow statement was released on the behalf of Richards:
"It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter.
As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately. As a result, we will be canceling production today.
SPT will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host. In the meantime, we will be bringing back guest hosts to continue production for the new season, details of which will be announced next week.
I want to apologize to each of you for the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy! over the last few weeks and for the confusion and delays this is now causing. I know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust and confidence."
Richards was just named the successor of the late Alex Trebek last week, but comments he made on his podcast from nearly a decade ago resurfaced under scrutiny.
Source: HollywoodReporter.com