'Jeopardy!' producer Mike Richards steps down as incoming host after controversial past comments

"Jeopardy!" executive producer Mike Richards said he Friday will no longer host the long-running trivia show.

The news comes just days after it was revealed that he made comments about women, Jews and people with mental disabilities on a podcast he hosted from 2013 to 2014.

Production of the show has been canceled and the search for a permanent replacement for the late Alex Trebek will resume. Richards said guest hosts will return in order for production on the current season to continue.

Richards, 46, admitted his "thoughtlessness" and "insensitivity" after an article Wednesday by The Ringer detailed the derogatory statements made on "The Randumb Show." The podcast, which had 41 episodes, was taken offline by Richards on Tuesday after he was contacted by The Ringer for comment about the show.

Here is the statement provided to CNBC that Richards shared with the Jeopardy staff this morning:

It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter. 

As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately. As a result, we will be canceling production today.

SPT will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host. In the meantime, we will be bringing back guest hosts to continue production for the new season, details of which will be announced next week.

I want to apologize to each of you for the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy! over the last few weeks and for the confusion and delays this is now causing. I know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust and confidence. 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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