It was recently announced that Mike Richards, executive producer of “Jeopardy!” would be taking on the role of host, but he has since decided to step down.

Richards only made it through one day of taping for the show.

His decision to step down came from the backlash he received for past derogatory comments he made, controversy on “The Price is Right,” and fan’s negative reactions towards the news.

It was found that in an old podcast of his, Richards made derogatory comments towards a variety of communities. The episodes have been deleted and Richards has apologized, but the apology was not taken lightly by many.

In his apology, he said, “my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable.”

News of lawsuits during his time as executive producer on “The Price is Right” also resurfaced, making fans question if he would be the right choice to replace the widely beloved Alex Trebek.

Fans of the show were also displeased with Sony’s decision, saying other guest hosts, such as LeVar Burton, were more deserving of the position.

Richards will remain the executive producer of the show, but will not be serving as its host.

There were many speculations that Richards had influence in picking himself as host, but according to Sony, they “pored over footage from every episode, reviewed research from multiple panels and focus groups, and got valuable input from our key partners and Jeopardy! viewers,” before picking Richards.

“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,” said Richards in a memo he left his colleagues.

In a statement, Sony said, “We support Mike’s decision to step down as host, we were surprised this week to learn of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and the offensive language he used in the past.”

“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,” said Richards in his apology.

The show will go back to its guest host format before it makes a decision on a permanent host.

Photo Credit: Courtesy Jeopardy! Productions Inc.