The search for new permanent host of Jeopardy! has come to an end. The show’s executive producer Mike Richards is finalizing a deal to succeed the late Alex Trebek as emcee of the venerable syndicated game show, I hear. Noone would comment but I hear Richards, who emerged as a frontrunner early in the search, was quietly appointed as the host a couple of weeks ago with the deal now in final negotiations. Sony Pictures Television is expected to make an official announcement in the next few days.

Richards, who has hosting experience, was well received by fans when he served as a guest host earlier this year along with a slew of celebrities who filled in for the beloved Trebek. The show’s longtime host lost his battle with cancer in November.

“He was everything you could hope for and more,” Richards said of Trebek on the show.