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‘Jeopardy!’: Everything to Know About Next Guest Host Mike Richards

Jeopardy is about to flip guest hosts, with Mike Richards taking over from former superstar champion Ken Jennings. The game show is sticking with interim hosts until they can find a replacement for the late Alex Trebek.

So, if you don’t recognize who Mike Richards is, Outsider is here to help with his details. We’re giving you some answers, so you can be strong when you hit the buzzer and say “Who Is Mike Richards.”

Here are some quick Mike Richards facts:

He was considered to be the replacement for Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right.” Actor/comedian Drew Carey landed the gig instead.

Mike Richards did host Beauty and the Geek along with the classic game show, Pyramid, for GSN. In all, he’s hosted five shows.

Richards has worked for many game shows, behind the camera, so you probably won’t recognize his face. However, you’ll recognize his work. You’ve probably watched at least one of his game shows. They range from the old-school ones like “Price is Right and “Let’s Make a Deal.” He worked as the executive producers on both these shows. He also was behind-the-scenes for newer shows like “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and “Weakest Link.”

Richards is 45. So he’s done a lot in a short time.

Mike Richards Produced More Than 4,000 Hours of Game Shows

He worked as the executive producer for both “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.” This means he was Alex Trebek’s last producer. When he was tapped for the producer job, Richards already had produced more than 4,000 hours of game shows.

When he got the job with those game shows, Mike Richards said:

Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are the gold standard of television – exceptional, timeless formats produced by amazing teams. Alex Trebek, Vanna White and Pat Sajak are incredible hosts and I can’t wait to work side by side with them on these world class franchises.”

And fellow TV people recognize Richards for his talent and hard work. He’s a 17-time nominee for a Daytime Emmy. He’s won three.

Richards turn as Jeopardy host starts Monday. He’ll serve as host until early March. Then, Katie Couric steps in.

Jeopardy is using a series of guest hosts as they try and find an adequate replacement for Alex Trebek, who died in November of pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

Richards already taped his shows. In a statement, he said: “I was very fortunate to have a front-row seat to watch and study Alex. Stepping in as a guest host was incredibly humbling, emotional and a lot of fun. It will forever be the honor of my life.”