Mike Richards hasn’t taken his place behind the “Jeopardy!” podium just yet, but a past hosting gig is stirring controversy.
Richards was the host of a podcast called “The Randumb Show” and on an episode that aired in 2014, he asked his co-host, Beth Triffon, if she had ever taken nude photos of herself after a hack exposed images of female celebrities, The Washington Post reported.
In a review of all of the episodes of the podcast, conducted by The Ringer, not only did Richards make comments about women’s bodies but also, Jewish people and poor people, according to The Washington Post.
He also made a comment comparing a woman’s issues that she was having with her apartment with the living conditions of Haiti at the time.
Richards responded saying the show was “intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around,” the “Today” show reported.
“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,” Richards said in a statement, according to “Today.” “My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and I intend to live up to them.”
Last week, Richards was named the main host of “Jeopardy!” replacing Alex Trebek, who died of cancer last year.
Richards, who is also the executive producer of “Jeopardy!,” is sharing the hosting duties with Mayim Bialik, who will host special episodes of the trivia show, Entertainment Weekly reported.
His comments from “The Randumb Show” are the latest controversy surrounding Richards’ past. He has faced discrimination lawsuits related to his tenure as executive producer at “The Price Is Right,” which he responded to, saying, “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,’” Entertainment Weekly reported.
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