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When Mike Richards, the Executive Producer of Jeopardy, and Mayim Bialik were chosen as the new permanent hosts, fans of the popular trivia game show questioned if the correct decision was made. Thanks to a poll from Morning Consult, it’s clear that they were far from right.
The poll revealed that LeVar Burton beat out Richards as the most favorable host, receiving 14 percent of the votes. Bialik received 13 percent of the votes and Richards came last with 3 percent of the votes.
According to Mediaite, “More than half of Jeopardy! viewers (54 percent) said the new hosts made them neither more nor less interested in watching the game show, according to a Morning Consult survey conducted Aug. 13-16.”
“About 1 in 3 viewers (32 percent) said they were more interested in tuning in, while 14 percent said the casting choices made them less interested,” concluded the poll.
Richards was recently under fire for derogatory and sexist remarks made as a host on The Randumb Show podcast from 2013 to 2014. In a statement obtained by CNN, Richards stated that “The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. 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.”
“My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a 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,” he added.
Months following the passing of long-running game show host Alex Trebek, Burton, Bialik, and Richards were amongst a group of celebrity guests that filled in as temporary hosts. Days prior, Nielsen Media Research reported that the Roots actor’s episodes brought in the lowest views. Nonetheless, it appears his low viewership was a result of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which aired on the same week.
Tell Us: Will Jeopardy make LeVar Burton the permanent host?
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