‘Jeopardy!’ Host Mayim Bialik Breaks Her Silence On Mike Richards’ Firing

Last month, Mayim Bialik and Mike Richards were named as the two new hosts of the classic game show “Jeopardy!” However, Richards has since been fired in the wake of controversial comments from his past resurfacing, and coming back to haunt him. 

Backstory: Mike Richards Fired As ‘Jeopardy’ Producer Days After Stepping Down As Host

Bialik Breaks Her Silence About Richards

Weeks later, Bialik has finally broken her silence to address the firing of Richards, who also lost his job as executive producer of both “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel Of Fortune” in the wake of this scandal.

Take a look: 

“I didn’t immediately know who the other host was going to be, and after Mike Richards was announced as permanent host, a couple more weeks passed and then everything changed and Mike stepped down,” the former “Big Bang Theory” actress said, according to Fox News.

“I think everyone who works with me will say that, as a person who has been acting since I was a kid, I go where I’m pointed and I do the job I’m told to do. I do what’s in front of me. I don’t really follow the news aspect of my industry too much,” she said. 

She told NBC News, “Like I said, my interest right now is for the viewers to not think much about what’s going in terms of hosting, meaning I’d like to be as much of a neutral to pleasant presence as host of what’s going to be a lot of episodes between now and several months from now.” 

Bialik continued, “Really, [I’m] just trying to decrease any drama factor going on and kind of go back to this incredible, iconic show, which has a very long, long streak going right now, as well, with Matt Amodio.”

She also wrote an essay for Newsweek.

Bialik Stayed In Touch With Richards

Bialik went on to say that while she stayed in touch with Richards as his “offensive” past comments about women, Asians, and Jews came to light, she also tried not to get too involved and instead focused on supporting the show and the fans.

“That’s how I approached what was going on. Of course I was in touch with Mike as he was my boss at that time, and I don’t wish ill on him, or anyone. But the complexity of these situations is not something that can be summed up easily,” Bialik explained. “My first response, when all of this went down, was to say to the ‘Jeopardy!’ team: ‘How can I help?’ Because I am part of this family.”

Related: New ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Mike Richards Quits Before First Episode After 2013 Podcast Surfaces

She Pays Tribute To Trebek

As she focuses on moving forward with her hosting duties, Bialik also made sure to pay tribute to the late Alex Trebek, who hosted “Jeopardy!” for 37 years before his death last November.

“It probably sounds crazy, but you definitely feel Alex’s presence on that stage,” she said. “As someone who didn’t necessarily grow up with the constant presence of Alex in my living room, I feel him everywhere on that stage and I get to work with people who for decades worked so closely with him and whom he called friends. That’s what feels really special.”

“There will never be another Alex, on camera or off,” Bialik concluded. “It’s important not to try and be him, because you can’t, but as I learn more about him, I see how much he made his life an act of devotion to humanity. That’s the legacy that I hold so dear as I go to work each day.”

Bialik will be hosting “Jeopardy!” for the next few weeks, and she will begin splitting hosting duties with former “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings starting in November. As for Richards, he seems to be the latest victim of cancel culture, and it’s unlikely that he’ll be making a comeback anytime soon, if ever. 

Related: Ken Jennings Admits Hosting “Jeopardy!” Is Hard After Getting Trolled By Contestant