Mayim Bialik will be the guest host of the daily “Jeopardy!” episodes after Mike Richards resignation

Actress Mayim Bialik, who is already planned to host “Jeopardy!” The prime-time specials and spin-offs will serve as guest hosts for the next 15 episodes of the daily syndicated show, Sony Pictures Television confirmed to CBS News on Monday. The announcement comes after executive producer Mike Richards, who was cast to permanently replace Alex Trebek as host of The Daily Episodes, resigned last week due to outrage over his past inappropriate comments.

Bialik, who is best known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” will record three weeks of episodes when production resumes this week, Sony said. Additional guest hosts will be announced as the season continues.

When chosen to host prime-time specials and spin-offs, Sony Chairman Ravi Ahuja said Bialik “has a wonderful energy, an innate sense of play and a genuine curiosity that naturally represents the Jeopardy brand !. “

Earlier this year, the show spent months auditioning a wide range of prominent figures – including Bialik, Richards, “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton and former champion Ken Jennings – to replace Trebek, who hosted the show for over 35 years ago. he died last november.

In early August, the show announced that Richards would permanently host the daily episodes and that Bialik would host the prime-time specials and spin-offs. But days later, The Ringer posted sexist and derogatory comments to Richards. made on a podcast in 2013 and 2014, causing negative reactions against the decision.

Shortly after, Richards said he would step down from his role, writing in a note to staff that “it became clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right decision for the series “. Richards will remain the executive producer of the series.