Mike Richards out as ‘Jeopardy!’ host after past scrutinized

LOS ANGELES, California — Producer Mike Richards stepped down from his brief tenure as host of “Jeopardy!” after a report about past misogynistic comments surfaced this week and following a drumbeat of criticism about his selection and how it was made.

Richards was chosen last week as the successor to Alex Trebek, but his selection was seen as divisive after a search that included actors, sports figures, journalists and celebrities.

Earlier this week, a report on the website The Ringer revealed demeaning comments about women that Richards had made on a podcast.

Richards said in a note to the “Jeopardy!” staff on Friday that moving forward would be too much of a “distraction for our fans.”