Almost five years after he was fired from Jeopardy!, Mike Richards has a new job. The former executive producer is set to be the CEO at right-wing news outlet The Daily Wire.
In 2021, Richards was named the new host of Jeopardy! after Sony’s exhaustive search to find a replacement for the late Alex Trebek. However, his tenure was brief and he was axed from the network amid accusations of workplace discrimination and insensitive comments made on a 2013 podcast. Richards only had five episodes air as permanent host before he was cut, prompting the network to hire Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, the latter of whom was fired a few months later.
Richards, who had been EP at Jeopardy! for a year before being fired, previously worked on Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
Richards joined Daily Wire 19 months ago as president of Daily Wire entertainment and chief content officer, leading all entertainment coverage of the conservative media site led by Ben Shapiro.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this new job came after Jeremy Boreing stepped down in March as the executive producer. Richards is expected to work out of its Nashville headquarters. Caleb Robinson stepped down this week as CEO after 11 years to focus on other projects, but he will remain on the board.
“We knew the answer was, ‘Who is Mike Richards?’ And now we can say ‘he’s an integral part of The Daily Wire’ was the question,” Gloria Taylor, a rep for Daily Wire, told THR. “He’s won 5 Emmys, produced over 4,000 hours of network programming, and run some of the most iconic shows the world has ever known. Thank you to the purple hairs. Please ‘cancel’ more creative geniuses.”
Since its inception in 2015, The Daily Wire has launched movies, children’s programming, documentaries, podcasts, investigative reporting, and subscription streaming. However, the outlet has faced layoffs and “internal turbulence” in recent months.
Richards told THR that he wants to put the audience first to “respect viewers in ways Hollywood no longer does.” Although he will be working behind the scenes, he expressed no interest in working on-camera again. “Sometimes making the content meant I had to go in front of it to make it work, and I’ve done that. But that’s not one of my goals here. I love making the content. I don’t need to be the face of it,” he said.
The company has laid off some of its production staff, but they are continuing to hire for their social media team and a “big, big name” that is set to join the company in 2027.
As for how he feels about his former job, Jeopardy!, Richards hopes the show succeeds. “I actually root for success for people, including that team. They know it — some of the writers, some of the other people have texted me privately. I root for them completely. I think it’s worked out great. I haven’t checked the ratings, but I’m sure it’s great, and I hope that show goes on forever,” he said.
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