Watch Brief ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Mike Richards Audition For Host of ‘The Price is Right’ in 2007

After stepping down from the role as the new, permanent host of Jeopardy! amid the revelation of a controversial past, a video has surfaced of the audition Mike Richards did for The Price is Right.

In 2007, Bob Barker retired as host of The Price is Right after 35 years holding the skinny microphone and awarding grandfather clocks, trips around the world, new cars, and cash to thousands upon thousands of contestants. Much like Alex Trebek, his name will always be associated with the game show about to start its 50th season on CBS.

When the announcement was made, CBS and production company Fremantle Media, began a search for a new host. After a long search with auditions by many potential hosts, Drew Carey got the job and has been at the helm for 15 years.

Some of those who did auditions with a full crew and audience were Mario Lopez, George Hamilton, John O’Hurley, and a young Mike Richards. Recodings of all these auditions have never seen the light of day, until now.

A YouTube channel was recently created called Mike Richards Vid and it has just one video. The 2007 audition of Mike Richards for The Price is Right. 

Watching the video, the show looks just like you would expect it to, but Mike Richards is the one who walks through the big doors. The audience is full of people who would like to get on the real show. Contestants don't get to win the prizes they are playing for, but win a small cash prize instead.

Executive Producer of The Price is Right at the time, Roger Dobkowitz, shared his thoughts on Richards audition in an interview posted in 2012, coincidentally after he was let go and replaced by Richards himself as EP of Price.

"Of all the people we were trying out, he had the least professional experience of them all," Dowkwoitz said. "I felt he looked way too young and felt he needed much more professional seasoning. He knew all the right words to say (he did his homework), but he did not bring anything special, personality or performance-wise, to the test show. His performance was compared to that of an eager student performing in a college show and putting on his best impersonation of what he thinks a game show host is."

Public outcry after Ricards was named permanent host of Jeopardy! was huge on social media. But if you think, he wasn't suited to host Jeopardy!, you'll probably be in agreement he also wasn't suited for The Price is Right. Check out the video for yourself and see if you agree.